Something Important
by OwlAway
Summary: "I've been saving it for something important." She said slowly, looking back up at the face of the enemy. She managed not to flinch when his eyes narrowed at her searchingly, and simply held the vial of oasis water between them. Without saying anything further, she reached for his face. The left side. 10 minutes can change a lot.
1. Something Important

"I've been saving it for something important." She said slowly, looking back up at the face of the enemy.

She managed not to flinch when his eyes narrowed at her searchingly, and simply held the vial of oasis water between them. Without saying anything further, she reached for his face. The left side.

The scar tissue was a strange mixture of texture. She'd never gotten so close to long-healed burn scars before. The skin moved loosely beneath her touch, but the bumpy tissue beneath it remained stiff and unmoveable. Zuko's breathing seemed harsh and shaky, but his face managed to remain impassive.

"But…" She pulled her hand away. "I only have enough water for one attempt. It may not even work…" she trailed off, feeling uncertain, but he was watching her again and the sense of empathy, of strange camaraderie, that she's started feeling when he mentioned his mother's loss grew. "But I'll try."

Zuko's face was still strangely rigid, but his eyes kept flickering around the room, looking panicked and young. He managed a quick, jerky nod, and Katara swallowed hard. The glow of the crystals in the cave gave his pale face a sickly look, and the dark, clumpy scar seemed to reflect the light back at her, shiny and unnatural.

Hurrying a little, as the fire princess could return at any time, Katara opened the bottle with an impossibly loud pop and summoned the oasis water to her hands. "You probably want to close your eyes." She prompted him, but his eyebrows came down in almost a scowl.

"No thanks." He rasped. "I don't… uh. I'll keep them open."

Taking a deep breath to get rid of the bristle of annoyance, Katara raised her hand to the left side of his face again. With one hand nearly covering the scar completely, she could kind of see what he'd probably looked like before whatever gave him the original wound. His mouth was set in a nervous, firm line, and his eyebrows were down. Almost a glare except for the wider yellow eye looking back at her, with its terrified, tiny pupil.

Younger than she'd thought. And he looked somewhat less royal to her without his main distinguishing feature. Kind of handsome but he could be any Fire Nation boy in the world without that scar.

"I can't feel anything." He whispered, almost stuttering.

She put her left hand on his other cheek, to keep him still. "I've not started yet. I'm trying to figure it out."

The water fell between the creases of the scar, glowing as it penetrated itself into the tissue of his eye socket. Focusing now on the task at hand, Katara barely registered the change of expression, only tightened her fingers on his face to keep him from moving away.

The spirit water seemed to fizz under her fingers. It felt so different from her other healing efforts and it seemed to have a mind of its own, fizzing and sparkling and dancing beneath her hand.

The water was sinking into his flesh, and she hoped there would be enough. She could feel it restoring and plumping up the burned away parts of his face, and it made his whole body shake under her hold. When the water was all gone, and her hand felt skin on skin, he was still shaking.

She didn't move either hand and let out a long, controlled breath. "Are you ok?"

He raised a hand to touch his face, but only catching the back of her hand. He flinched slightly but stopped shaking. Wordlessly, they looked at each other, wide-eyed and wary.

They were suddenly engulfed in a cloud of dust and rubble. She turned to see Aang and couldn't help but run over in a tangle of arms and laughed with relief.

She managed a quick peek over towards Zuko, but his face was turned away from her, and he looked as though he was trying to squirm out of his Uncle's grasping hug. She still couldn't see if it had worked.

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" Zuko sounded strange, and as Iroh pulled away from him, Katara was a little frustrated that she could only see his right side.

Aang bristled and pulled away from Katara. "Saving you, that's what!"

Iroh turned to Aang and Katara, with a smile. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up to you." Zuko glanced her way but turned quickly before she could see.

Her heart sank. She must have failed. The spirit oasis water hadn't been able to heal his scar and she'd wasted it on someone who wasn't even on their side.

Aang pulled her along towards the tunnel. She paused at the mouth and turned back to look at Zuko, who had his back to her and his fists clenched. She didn't really know what to say, and Iroh was looking back to him and saying something in a low voice, hands on his nephew's shoulders. She felt wrong, voyeuristic.

So without anything else to say, she followed Aang into the tunnel.

They'd just reached another glowing cavern when Aang suddenly turned and threw up a wall of earth to deflect the flash of blue at their backs.

They were under attack from the rear. Katara's mind cleared and she instinctively reached for the water in the underground canal, dragging a wall of water towards the fire princess. She was wearing earth kingdom clothing and looked a little wild as she steamed away Katara's attack with a huge wall of blue fire.

Leaping through the cloud of dust and steam, she punched two fireballs at Aang and Katara, who moved in unison to block them with more water. Heart pounding, Katara looked up to see Azula smirking, perched on one of the cave's supporting rock columns. Beside her, Aang moved into another earth bending stance and broke it apart.

They had the satisfaction of hearing Azula's gasp as she fell, but she managed to push herself off and landed on her feet.

Right between Katara and Aang.

All three froze. Azula had her arms outstretched, pointing at each of them. All three were panting a little, sizing each other up. Katara and Aang focused on Azula, who glanced between them with wide eyes.

Katara's heart pounded and stuttered as a red fireball came hurtling through the tunnel and landed between Aang and Azula, causing both to jump away.

Katara squinted through the smoke and debris to see the familiar figure of Zuko in a firebending stance. He glanced between the three of them and Katara's eyes widened as he met hers. His face- it was-!

Azula yelped in surprise as Iroh seemed to melt from the shadows and sent a torrent of flame her way, she skirted the edges of the stream of fire and rebounded off another column of rock Aang sent her way.

"You!" She gasped, eyes wide and furious at Zuko. "You fool, have you any idea…"

Iroh sent a fireball hurtling at her, cutting her off. She turned wildly, and Katara was reminded of the last time they'd faced Azula, in the Earth kingdom village when Iroh had been struck by lightning.

It appeared as though Azula was thinking along similar lines, as she circled her arms and summoned vivid white-blue sparks into her fingertips, just as Katara's water closed over her.

It wasn't intended to knock her off her feet, just capture her hands, but water conducts electricity, and the baby sparks of lightning charged through the water and Azula jerked with the force of it before her head dropped back limply as the water splashed away.

"Azula!" Zuko shouted as she dropped to the floor, but Aang lifted a barrier between the siblings, watching Zuko with narrowed eyes.

"What happened to your face?" He asked coolly, and with two quick stomps of his feet, the other boy was rooted to the spot. Iroh, who could still move freely, held up his hands and approached Aang with a peaceful expression.

"My nephew and I would like to join you, and there is much to discuss… but perhaps now is not the time." He looked calm, but there was an edge to his voice that caused Aang to nod, and after a moment's hesitation, release Zuko.

"We have to get out of here." Aang agreed. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Whatever had made Zuko attempt to run to her before wasn't there now. He looked over to the still form of the fire princess with a blank expression that made Katara feel cold. "She'll be fine." As though she'd heard her brother's voice, Azula stirred. Zuko's expression snapped to one of mild panic. "Let's go."

But at that moment Iroh seemed to perk up at something neither Katara or Aang could sense. "Oh dear.."

"Azula always has a backup plan," Zuko muttered grimly. "We already caught her off guard earlier."

What felt like hundreds of Dai Li agents seemed to appear from the darkness of the tunnel. Katara took a step back but gasped in realisation as she saw they were behind her too. She readied an octopus of water whips around her and turned so she was facing outwards. Aang, Zuko and Iroh, she knew, would do the same.

They were nearly back to back, in a tight circle. A couple of Dai Li agents crouched by Azula, rousing her. It hadn't been enough of a charge to put her out for good, Katara knew, but she'd hoped for more time. Flickering golden eyes cracked open and glared at their group.

Not their group, Katara realised with a start. Not even Aang.

Just Zuko.

"She's probably going to come for me," Zuko muttered quietly. "You guys can focus on the Dai Li."

"Remember what I taught you, nephew," Iroh said gently, under his breath. "Follow your energy pathways. Fluid like a waterbender."

Katara couldn't risk a glance back at them, but she frowned in confusion. Them the Dai Li struck.

They were totally on the defence, Katara was batting rocks out of the air, but the ground beneath her was rocking, and breaking her stance. She tried to solidify the ground beneath them with ice, and she could feel Aang beside her doing the same with a combination of water and earthbending.

Iroh and Zuko were providing the bulk of the attack power, sending flames powering into and licking around the defensive rock barriers of the Dai Li, they were just about holding them off, and knocking a few agents back but the familiar blue crackle in the air told her that their barely held advantage was fast fading.

"Aang. You mastered the Avatar state, right?" She hissed, breathless from the exertion. She didn't like it, but presumably, the Guru would have given Aang access to the terrifying, powerful connection he had with his past lives, and it was sure to be helpful against the Dai Li if only to help them escape.

"I'm sorry Katara," Aang whispered, and stepped away, bringing up some more of the green crystals to enclose him inside.

Sorry? Why was he sorry?

"What the hell is he doing?" Zuko shouted, punching fireballs towards the Dai Li as they attempted to fully rouse Azula. She was blindly throwing blue fire around her, catching several agents in her daze.

"He's going to help!" Katara shouted back, narrowing her eyes. "We just need to hold them off a little longer."

But they didn't have long. Azula was coming to properly, and the Dai Li were covering her as she shakily prepared a blast of lightning again. Katara tried to look, but the Dai Li were strong, and the barrage of boulders and columns was as overwhelming as she could bear.

Her hair had come loose at some point, and it was blocking her peripheral vision, meaning she had to turn more to spot the crashing rocks and constant barrage. There was so much earthbending happening that it felt like the whole cave complex was about to come down around them.

Azula let out an angry cry and released the lightning at Zuko. Katara tried to send a wall of water to block it, but she was distracted and had to bring another wall up to prevent bullets of crystal fragments from catching her, but she felt small pieces rip into her right leg, which wasn't properly protected. She tried to hold proper form but the Dai Li were master earthbenders, and she was outnumbered.

Zuko was outclassed.

But the lightning seemed to get swallowed up and spat back out. He'd sent it back at her in a move she could have sworn looked like waterbending…

Azula's surprised face was illuminated by a sudden burst of light from Aang's hideaway. The crystals cracked and the Avatar floated slowly into the air. Katara smiled with exhausted pride and the Dai Li stared up in amazement. As everyone else was momentarily distracted, Azula ent a quick blue fireball straight at Aang's chest.

Aang seemed to absorb it, before lifting his arms and causing the whole cave to shake. Power surged through the air in awful, pulsating waves. There was a great rumbling, and Katara fell to her knees with her hands over her ears. It was so loud, and the weight of the earth above them felt so heavy and oppressive.

She squinted up at Aang, who was still in the Avatar state. She tried to shout to him, but her voice was lost in the roar. Rocks fell between them and the Dai Li, who were scrambling to retreat even as Azula glared upward, unmoving as the cave collapsed around her.

Iroh took hold of Katara's arm and tried to shout something, but Katara couldn't hear. Zuko seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, watching his sister, but Iroh grabbed him by the shoulder too and dragged them away, towards the waterfall at the far side of the room.

Aang followed them, still floating and pulling the cave apart. Looking up, Katara could see a glimmer of the sky at the top of the waterfall and pulled the water to bring them up. They came up somewhere behind the palace, and Aang appeared shortly after, seeming himself again as he reached for Katara's wrist with a determined frown.

"We have to get to Appa."

"Sokka and Toph will hopefully be there." Katara agreed, helping him to his feet. He was a little shaky but nowhere near as exhausted as the Avatar state usually left him. "If not, we're not leaving without them." She smiled, but Aang simply nodded.

The streets were relatively free of the Dai Li as the group raced through. Nighttime had settled, and Katara felt her blood charge with the moon, helping her react quicker, more accurately to the few threats they encountered.

Thankfully, Sokka and Toph had orchestrated their own escape and were preparing Appa for takeoff as they arrived. They had the Earth King and Bosco with them.

"Sokka!" Katara grinned, grabbing him in a tight hug. "Toph! I'm so glad you're ok."

"You too. We were trying to figure out how to rescue you… wherever you were." Sokka grinned, before looking over her shoulder. "Who-" he froze.

"They're with us," Aang said quickly, to Sokka's twitch of recognition. "Iroh and Zuko are coming with us." He leapt up onto Appa and Katara pushes Sokka ahead, not allowing whatever protest was brewing beneath his increasingly purple face. "We can discuss it later but we have to go."

"They're coming." Toph hissed, eyes widening. "Come on old man." Iroh nodded and clambered up after her. Zuko eyes the bison warily, but Appa seemed to muzzle toward him, giving him an affectionate lick.

"Right. You again." He muttered, but he looked up to his uncle and climbed into the saddle anyway.

As they took off into the night sky, leaving Ba Sing Se behind them, Katara cuddled Momo to her tightly and idly toyed with the glass vial that lay empty around her neck.

She'd done the right thing by healing Zuko… right?


	2. The Importance of Having a Plan

They were tense and quiet for a while after leaving Ba Sing Se. The saddle was by no means small, but it felt crowded and claustrophobic with four new additions to the group. Zuko was tucked into one corner, Iroh comfortably sat in the middle with King Kuei and Bosco, and the others pressed closer to the front, subconsciously forming a barrier between the firebenders and Aang.

The mood was unbearably tense, and Katara decided to choose the route of least resistance. She attempted a smile at Iroh. "thank you for your help back there." She started. "Both of you. I'm not sure how we'd have gotten out without you." Sokka made a little huff of distrust, but she elbowed him in the ribs.

Iroh surprised her by bowing deeply, head touching the saddle back. It surprised his nephew too, who watched him with wide eyes.

"I should be thanking you, Master Katara." He said smoothly. "How could we ever repay the debt we owe?" For the first time, he didn't seem totally in control of himself. His calm, genial attitude shook, and Katara shuffled forwards. Zuko's hands were clenched in the fabric of his tunic, and he didn't seem able to look at his uncle anymore.

"Debt?" Sokka asked, surprised.

"The scar," Aang said softly, not turning back to them from his position in Appa's shoulders. "You used the water from the spirit oasis to heal it, right Katara?"

"What?" Sokka turned to face her, his face turning interesting colours again. "You used the oasis water on Zuko's scar? The guy who's been chasing us for months?" He flailed his arms in exasperation and turned to Aang. "Aren't you angry?"

Toph frowned slightly, aiming her face towards the rough direction of Zuko. "Did you have a scar?"

Zuko blinked, looking surprised. "Uh."

"How could you miss it?" Sokka gasped. Toph frowned at him, waiting.

And waiting.

Sokka groaned. "Never mind." He scowled at Zuko. "I don't know what you did to trick my sister, but the rest of us are going to be keeping an eye on you." He pointed between his eyes and towards Zuko, causing Katara to roll her eyes with a sigh.

"I'm not. You're good." Toph chirped. Katara and Sokka looked at her. Katara frowned at the blind joke, but then realised with a slight start that Toph hadn't really had many encounters with Zuko before. She'd not been there when he burned the houses in Kyoshi, or threatened the South Pole, or tried to kidnap Aang.

Behind her, Aang nodded. "You're with us now." He said, turning around to look at Zuko and Iroh with a soft smile. "I'm glad Katara was able to help you, Zuko... and I'm glad we're friends."

It was meant to be reassuring, Katara knew it was, but Zuko scowled and turned to face the city behind them, curling into himself and hiding his face. Iroh smiled gratefully at Aang. "Thank you, young Avatar." He glanced back at Zuko with a smile. "It will take a bit of getting used to, but we are very happy to be with you. If you like, I would be happy to teach you firebending… as soon as we are able to find somewhere safe."

Somewhere safe.

Where was safe? The group sat in silence for a moment, all looking back to Ba Sing Se.

Ba Sing Se has fallen.

"Where can we go?" King Kuei said, speaking for the first time since they'd set off. "I've never… I never even left the palace until this week…" Bosco grumbled next to him, and he slumped against the bear.

"Let's head to Chameleon Bay. We can meet up with Dad and formulate a plan." Sokka said softly.

Zuko turned. "Chameleon Bay?" He asked. The wind made his hair whip back off his face, and he looked so, so strange without the familiar scar. He was almost unrecognisable. "That's a terrible idea."

Sokka scowled. "What? We need to meet up with our dad."

"The Fire Nation will be patrolling the area. Even with the rocks under the water, they'll be nearby." He said forcefully. "Azula won't leave any possible harbours open to hide in, especially not so close to Ba Sing Se."

"Zuko's right." Iroh nodded sagely. "There will be lots of patrol ships in the area, but they won't make it inside the bay. The water is too treacherous for the larger ships." He smiled at Sokka. "Your father should be safe, as long as he's careful, but we will have to exercise the utmost caution if we wish to go there ourselves."

Sokka hummed, thinking to himself. Toph flashed a tiny, devious grin as Appa changed direction slightly. King Kuei just looked thoughtful. "I can't come with you." He murmured thoughtfully. The others turned to him in surprise. "Can you set me and Bosco down on the way? I've never seen the kingdom outside of the walls, and how can I rule a kingdom I've never seen?" He looked out over the saddle. "I need to meet my people. I need to understand them so that if… when I return, I can be better."

Something about the way King Kuei spoke about wanting to provide for his people made Katara feel warm inside, and just beyond him, Zuko's face relaxed, and he stared out into the night. He was frowning, Katara realised, but it wasn't angry. More thoughtful than anything.

She wondered if he'd spent much time with ordinary people within the Fire Nation. Were there ordinary people in the Fire Nation?

They set down to prepare a camp. Aang and Appa were both exhausted, and the others weren't much better either. Toph had immediately warmed to Iroh, apparently, and had created a comparatively comfortable chair for him to sit on at their campsite. Iroh made agreeable noises and lit the campfire with a flick of his wrist.

"That… That does make life easier." Sokka grinned at the older man, stoking the flames with a stick. "Do we have any food in the saddle?"

"Not much," Katara admitted, producing a mouldy loaf of bread and eyeing it speculatively. "This isn't too bad. We can pick off the worst of it." She had a quick rummage through the pack. "There are some nuts and dried fruit, but we left most of the food behind… Do you have anything on you?" She looked to Iroh and Zuko.

"I'm afraid not." Iroh sighed. "I have a little money but no food." Zuko was stood awkwardly by his uncle, arms crossed. "I would so enjoy a cup of tea, alas I fear that I left it all at the palace."

Zuko blinked, and reached inside his tunic, producing a small brown parcel. He grimaced as he unwrapped what maybe once was a very nice cake. "I have this, but it got a bit crushed." Sokka beamed and clapped him on the back.

"Now that is being prepared." He grinned down at the cake. "Katara, I hope you're taking notes! May I?" He asked Zuko, who handed Sokka the cake with a surprised smile. "We have dessert!"

Thankfully, Sokka was in a good mood and only took a slightly larger piece than he gave to everyone else. Katara looked over to where Aang was already fast asleep on Appa and sighed softly. He'd been incredible in the caves, full of power and for the first time, the Avatar state hadn't been so scary. The Guru must have been a great help.

"Here." Zuko was stood at her shoulder, awkwardly holding out a worn blanket. "For the Avatar.." Behind him, the others were mostly bedding down for the night around the campfire. Only Iroh and Toph remained fully awake, talking to each other in low voices.

Smiling in thanks, she took the blanket and draped it over Aang. He looked so young when he was asleep. It made her chest warm to see him safe, undisturbed by the war around them.

She looked up to see Zuko watching Aang with a pained expression. He looked like he was in physical pain, watching Aang sleep. His shoulders were raised and he held the other blankets in his arms tightly to his stomach, resisting the urge to- what?

"Are you alright?" She asked, and he shook his head, grimacing. "Do you… regret what happened?"

He breathed out in a long, shuddering sigh that sent tiny flames out of his mouth. Katara tried not to stare, wide-eyed. Firebenders could actually breathe fire. Something about the casualness of it was so off-putting. "I don't know." He said eventually, turning to glance back at his uncle. "Part of me thinks it might not be too late to…" He turned back to Aang, and Katara forced herself to keep very still, not to move straight into a defensive position. "... Thank you by the way. I don't think I said it before."

He turned the left side of his face away from her self consciously, and she felt a strange, protective feeling for him then. For so long he'd been the face of the enemy, and the scar had been just… part of his face. It looked strange to her, seeing symmetrical eyes, ears and a smooth, pale cheek where he'd previously had warped reddened flesh.

"You're welcome." She said, awkwardly. "Does it- feel…" She wasn't sure what she was trying to ask. Does it feel different? Do you regret accepting the offer? He didn't look particularly happy about it. "Are you alright?" She said again, lamely.

He opened his mouth to say something but paused. He looked back at Aang and she waited, letting the silence stretch between them.

"You probably shouldn't have done it." He said eventually. "You had no way of knowing I wouldn't attack you. You might still need the spirit water another time. For something more… something else."

I've been saving it for something important.

"It felt like the right thing to do." She said softly. "I wasn't really thinking of other ways I might need to use it… Just… It seemed like it really bothered you. The scar." She waited for a response, but he didn't offer one, so she just looked back to Aang.

She kept expecting him to walk away but he simply stood there all tense, anxious stillness.

"I don't know if I regret helping you." He said eventually. "If I hadn't helped you, I could have gone home."

He seemed more comfortable when she wasn't looking at him, so she didn't. "How long have you been away?" He'd been obsessed with his search for the Avatar, but they'd not seen him and his uncle until Ba Sing Se. She'd assumed he had been back in the fire nation, but when she saw him in Ba Sing Se, he'd been in Earth Kingdom clothes, and Azula had thrown him into the cave as a prisoner.

She had no idea what their former pursuers had been doing for the last month or so. The realisation was unsettling.

"Three years."

"Three years?" She couldn't help looking back at him. "Why so long?"

"I was looking for him." He said with a sigh. "The Avatar. We were going to capture the Avatar to restore my honour."

The last part seemed like a strange condition. He was a prince of the Fire Nation. Had he fallen out of favour? Had he committed a crime of some sort? How does a prince lose his honour?

But Zuko wasn't really paying attention to her. He was watching Aang sleep. "But every time I got close I let him go."

"I don't know what happened." She said eventually, once it was clear Zuko wasn't going to say anything further. "But I'm glad you're with us now."

She paused, before taking one of the blankets Zuko was holding onto, tugging a little to pull it from his grasp. He blinked and looked down at them in confusion before letting her take it. He seemed lost in his own thoughts and she reached out instinctively. Gripping his upper arm firmly, she met his eyes with a firm smile. The physical contact surprised him, and she wondered why he flinched.

"Try to get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

She walked away from him, back towards the rest of the group, leaving him with his thoughts. With Aang. She was sure she'd made the right choice in the caves. Even if he wasn't.

.

It took them the full day to get near Chameleon Bay. Zuko and Iroh had been right, Katara realised with a frown. There were definitely more Fire Nation battleships patrolling the sea than there had been the last time they were near the coast. A smaller ship Zuko called a sea viper was idling on the horizon, and they'd had to fly high in the clouds multiple times to avoid being spotted by other larger ships.

Sokka kept asking Zuko questions about the ships, their inner layouts and functionalities. It turned out that Fire Nation ships had three basic categories: there were the smaller patrol ships, the heavily armed destroyers and large carrier ships, which transported weapons and personnel across the ocean from factories and warehouses to the various colonies.

"That sea viper is a fast patrol ship - they tend to work light and will probably have a crew of around 25 soldiers, including at least 5 firebenders." Zuko narrowed his eyes at the dark shape on the glittering sea. "It can operate with just 10 people in an emergency, and maximum capacity could be as much as 70 or so."

"Hmm." Sokka squinted. "It looks a bit beat up."

"Yeah. It's an older model. Like the one I used to have" Zuko confirmed.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Can we take it out or not?"

Zuko glanced at her before signalling for them to go back to the others. They shuffled away from the cliff edge and crawled back into the wooded copse where they could stand, and Appa was obscured by various trees and thickets.

"Do you think it would be big enough for what we need?"

Sokka looked thoughtful. "It might get a bit tight, but if it's fast and blends in then it should be fine."

Zuko nodded. "Patrol ships don't tend to be used for high-profile missions. Most other ships will just salute and carry on." He smirked. "We'd be right under their noses, and we would be able to get away quickly if we ran into any trouble."

"I don't like the idea of taking over a Fire Nation ship," Aang said lowly. "It feels too dangerous."

"It's a really good plan, Aang," Katara said firmly. "This way it will be safe to go into Chameleon Bay and get Dad and the others out. There won't be any Fire Nation soldiers to see them escape and we can continue with Sokka's invasion plan."

Zuko nodded. "With more ships on the ocean, they'll probably all have lower capacity too. This is the best opportunity we're likely to get."

Aang made a slightly pained noise, and Sokka took that as assent. He and Zuko quickly retired to a felled tree and began sketching out plans together. Their heads bowed and conversation quick, low and eager. Katara watched them strategise with a raised eyebrow- it hadn't crossed her mind before but Zuko wasn't much older than them at all. The scar, armour and warships had previously given him an older, harder feel, but as he sat with Sokka, discussing ways to get onto the sea viper he looked almost the same age as her brother.

"Those two are getting along better today," Toph remarked with a smirk. Katara smiled down at the earthbender and shrugged.

"I think Sokka has more in common with Zuko than he'd admit." She nudged Toph with her elbow. "I'm honoured by your company Lady Bei Fong- where's your friend?"

"Looking for plants to make tea from." Toph shrugged. "He's a cool old dude, but his priorities are weird."

She was attempting to feign nonchalance, but Katara could tell the girl had taken to Iroh- ever since their first meeting.

"Hey, Sugar Queen… I know it's none of my business but why exactly did you heal Prince Sulky?" Toph asked abruptly. "What happened to you guys in the cave?"

Katara was silent, looking over to where Zuko was trying to illustrate some obscure point for Sokka, eyebrows knitted together as Sokka gestured at him wildly. "I'm not entirely sure." She said eventually. "We had… I guess our first proper conversation, and it seemed strange not to offer, at least…"

The green crystal glow had made him look pained, and the way he'd reacted when she'd mentioned his face being that of the enemy had kind of broken her heart. I've been saving it for something important.

It had seemed important.

"Your priorities are weird too." Toph scoffed, clearly impatient with Katara's conversation. "Personally, I think having firebenders in the group is a good thing. Twinkletoes will have to learn fire soon, right?"

"Right…" Katara frowned. Aang had been incredibly against learning fire ever since he'd burned her, but as he progressed in his earth and water bending it was becoming more and more obvious that he had a knowledge gap. The Avatar couldn't fulfil his destiny without all four elements, and his aversion to fire was cause for concern.

Where Jeong Jeong had hated fire and warned of its destruction, Iroh seemed to use it in completely different ways. She'd seen Iroh fight but he didn't have the same aggression in his movements that other firebenders had. Zuko, for example, had much more aggressive movement and his bending seemed angrier somehow, but Iroh was almost like an Airbender.

"We've not got that long, have we?" Toph said with a faint frown.

"No, we don't." Katara agreed. She might have said something reassuring, but she wasn't sure how.

.

They'd managed to persuade Aang to stay out of sight with Appa, Momo and Iroh as the others infiltrated the ship. Toph brought them down the side of the cliff and Katara was responsible for actually getting them to the ship unnoticed.

"This would obviously be a lot safer if we had more people." Zuko pointed out, and the boys exchanged a significant look. "But I'm sure this will be… fine." He grimaced at Sokka, who clapped his back in what was probably intended to be a show of camaraderie but seemed to just make Zuko even more uncomfortable.

Katara sped them through the water, trying to keep the ripples and movement to a minimum so as not to attract attention. They reached the ships hull where, sure enough, the rungs of a ladder were just as Zuko had told them. "You go first Toph," Sokka said. "Don't go on deck if there's anyone too close."

"Yeah, I know Snoozles." Toph scoffed, but her body relaxed a little once she was in contact with the ship and she could 'see' again. "No one's on deck." She clambered up the ladder, followed closely by Sokka, then Katara and Zuko at the rear. The ship was old, Katara realised. It had a few noticeable seams of rust along the side, and there was a smattering of barnacles near the water level. That was a good sign though, it meant the ship wasn't weighed down by crew members and weapons.

They slipped onto the deck and Toph grinned. "There's a few downstairs, but most of them are in the bridge."

"How many?"

Tops frowned. "Four downstairs. Eight on the bridge."

They were in luck. "Right." Sokka nodded. "We'll take the guys downstairs first and then head to the bridge. That way we can keep things contained."

The inside of the ship was familiar enough to put Katara's teeth on edge. She'd been inside Fire Nation ships before- first, the abandoned one in her village, and then in Zuko's. If Zuko's face was that of the enemy, these iron ships were the dragon's den.

Her body was screaming for her to run back, and she could see from the tense set of Sokka's shoulders that he felt the same. The dark, straight corridors allowed little in the way of hiding places, and each doorway felt like a threatening unknown- only Toph seemed totally sure of herself as she led the way down into the belly of the beast.

"We're heading into the sleeping quarters," Zuko whispered. "I'd expected the crew to be in the engine room but…" He paused thoughtfully and didn't continue.

His reticence was beginning to grate on Katara's nerves. Why couldn't he just say what he was thinking instead of these stuttering half-sentences? He'd never had problems speaking to them before.

Making demands, rather.

Downstairs, they heard it- the crewmembers' low hum of easy conversation. There was the occasional burst of laughter and it sounded strange- not mocking or cruel, just easy and carefree. "... The lieutenant said we can have music night tonight." Someone- a woman, said clearly, and her compatriots gave a cheer.

Outside the door to the bunk room, Katara and Toph took the lead, with Katara preparing a large orb of dark water. Taking a deep breath, she nodded to Zuko and Sokka, wheeling around the doorframe and pulling the surprised soldiers into a group, icing their hands. One reacted quickly, kicking an arc of flame towards Katara but Zuko was close behind, diverting it to the side.

Toph tore a band of metal from one of the bunk beds, wrapping it around the four crewmen even as a second soldier tried to breathe fire at her. The technique didn't quite work though, and she only succeeded in slightly melting her ice prison as the metal band tightened further.

Sokka and Zuko began to gag the captives, using strips of bedding and discarded clothes. "Please, not that…" One cringed as Sokka lifted an unfortunately crusty looking set of underwear. "Anything but that."

Sokka winced and dropped the offending item with a cringe, tearing off a strip of bedsheet instead. "You're lucky I'm not some sort of sadist."

"Ssh." Toph hissed. "Someone's coming."

Katara fixed the gags with ice and Toph lifted the floor of the room to fix the four crewmen in place, holding them still and silent as she listened at the door. Katara's ears rang as she tried to listen for footsteps beyond the door. The sounds of the ship were drowning out any hope she had of hearing advancing threats, but luckily Toph had other ways.

The desperate need to escape was overwhelming.

"Heading down," Toph whispered. "The engine room I think."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can't leave these ones unattended, anyone could come down and find them if we go down to the engine room."

And the person in the engine room could come back up if they went upstairs.

"I'll go to the engine room," Katara said. "I have plenty of water and you guys need more hands on the bridge."

And that was how Katara found herself alone in the ship. Toph had bent the metal door to the sleeping quarters to keep their captives contained, and Zuko had found twin Dao blades that he deemed good enough for a temporary measure, and in an effort not to waste any more time, they'd separated with little more than a brief hug and a quiet 'good luck'.

She slipped down the stairs, keeping her eyes peeled for movement. The noise of the ship was deafening down here, roaring fire and the clanging sound of off metal walls. There were further tell-tale signs of disrepair here- the machinery creaked and groaned, the walls had little rivers of rust running vertically up the side and the floor shone with moisture. Katara quietly tucked herself into the shadows and slowly crept down the main gangway. There was a middle-aged man in Fire Nation armour making notes on a scroll, looking closely at a valve or gauge system by one of the furnaces.

She watched as he rolled up the scroll and rubbed at his temples as though deep in thought. She tried to subtly freeze his feet to the ground but, although the water here was abundant, it was too hot to freeze.

The movement caught the soldier's eye, and he turned quickly, sending a fireball straight at her hiding place. Katara jumped out to one side and brought up a wall of water to deflect the next two. "Waterbender!" He cried, and ran towards her, dragging a line of fire behind him. Katara dodged the first whip and sent a low blast of her own at his ankles. The soldier stumbled, and she swept him across the floor. The water here was slick with oil, which made it difficult for the firebender to regain his proper stance but he struggled valiantly against her.

A burst of fire erupted from the furnace to her left, forcing her to roll away to one side, and she tried again to break his stance, but the firebender gripped onto a railing and managed to remain standing. He kicked an arc of fire towards her, and she raised herself up in a column of oily water, charging him. He released the railings and desperately sent a blast of fire at her, but she deflected it and swallowed him in the warm, slick water.

Casting her eye around the room for something to bind him, she tried to drag him towards the door, but he struggled against the water and she lost her focus. She barely heard the crashing water behind her and her only warning was a bright orange light casting her shadow against the wall by the exit. She dropped to the floor, fire roaring above her and the oppressive heat singing her hair.

She kicked a sloppy wave of water back at him and scrambled towards the door- he was a better firebender than she'd expected and she wasn't able to use ice properly with the heat from the furnaces blasting at her like this.

The furnaces.

She sent a better, stronger wave of water at the older man, pushing him back into the room and halting his advance, and she separated the wave into smaller columns, throwing them against the furnace grates. The furnaces hissed and spat inky black smoke as they were smothered and died.

"You fool!" The firebender shouted and charged at her again, but Katara stepped back and brought water rushing from behind him. He fell face first to the floor and the dark, shimmering water crashed over his back.

He didn't stir, but Katara kept hold of his hands and feet until the room began to cool. Their fight had caused a lot of noise, and she wasn't sure whether someone else would make it down to the engine room to investigate- it would depend on how her friends were faring upstairs.

The ship was still loud, but with the furnaces extinguished it felt like the engines were getting quieter too. She experimentally tried to freeze the firebender in place, but the heat was still too much- metal held heat, she remembered, and there was a lot of metal in this room.

The door slammed open behind her and she turned quickly, fearfully. Sokka winced at the heat of the room but grinned when his eyes fell on the unconscious firebender. "Nice one Katara." He praised. "Toph and Zuko are finishing up on deck, but we've got everyone rounded up. Need a hand?"

"Thanks." Katara grinned back. "It's too hot go get proper ice down here, but he's out."

Sokka tied the firebender's hands behind his back with a thick length of rope, as Katara did the same to his ankles. Then they managed to lift him between them and half-carried, half dragged the older man up the stairs.

It was slow going, and annoyingly the firebender stirred as they emerged onto the deck. About a dozen or so soldiers had been rounded up by Sokka, Toph and Zuko. Katara found herself feeling a little embarrassed it had taken her so long to defeat the firebender on her own.

"Unlucky," Zuko said sympathetically as he spotted them. "It looks like you had the commanding officer."

That made her feel a little better, but as the firebender looked up to see his captors she saw Zuko's face go pale.

"Lieutenant Jee?" Zuko breathed, and Katara stiffened. "Is that you?"

"Who -?" The older man hissed, trying to turn to see who had spoken. "How do you know me?"

Zuko looked stunned and walked over to the captured soldier. Katara saw Sokka's eyes narrow at Zuko's approach and could feel the suspicion in his glare. Nervousness coiled in her belly, and she took hold of a water whip… just in case.

It was one thing having Zuko help them take over a ship of his countrymen, but if he knew one of them... His connection with Katara and the others was barely a full day old, and he'd said it himself that he wasn't sure he'd made the right choice, defecting from the Fire Nation and his family.

Katara wished Iroh was with them.

"Prince Zuko?" One of the other soldiers said finally, and Toph tightened the band of metal holding the captives together. "It's the prince!"

"Your Highness!" The man called Jee's eyes widened. "It's so good to see you!" That clearly wasn't the response Zuko expected, and he froze in place. "Where's your uncle? We were told he'd kidnapped you, but of course, we didn't believe that" Jee smiled, and looked around the others. "I see the rumours about you joining the Avatar are true though."

"What?" Zuko managed. "How would you-"

"I can't say I would have ever expected you to defect like this, Prince Zuko, but it is so very good to see you well." Jee was looking into Zuko's face with a strange expression. "Your face…" Zuko looked thoroughly self-conscious now, and he glanced up at Katara with slightly frantic eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sokka cried. "How is this possible?" They had somehow attacked the one ship in the whole world that was manned by Zuko's old crew,

"Right. I don't know what's going on here." Toph declared. "And I couldn't care less. Prince Sulky, I'm taking these guys to the hold, are you going to join them?"

"He's fine," Sokka said in a low, warning voice. "Let's get these guys downstairs."

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Zuko snapped, as the door closed behind the last of the Fire Nation captives. Katara said nothing and he growled in frustration, punching an arc of fire out towards the sea. "This is just… typical." He seethed.

"Did you know this was your old ship?" Katara asked, eyeing him carefully. He turned to face her, furious.

"This is not my old ship. I had an old cruiser- the crew have had an upgrade since-" He swallowed hard, and held his fists to his temples in frustration. "This is unbelievable. Uncle is going to… Ugh!"

He punched two fireballs into the desk and spun, as though he couldn't find where to aim next.

"That's enough Zuko," Katara warned. "You need to calm down."

"Calm down?" He turned on her but she was quicker, wrapping his hands in water and dragging him to the floor, icing him in place. He scowled at her but didn't try to break free. "You don't understand- that is my crew. And they- What am I supposed to do?"

"We'll figure something out," Katara said, melting the water away and kneeling beside the firebender. She took his point though- the crew knew Zuko and Iroh, and they would be able to report back to the Firelord what had happened.

Were they supposed to kill the crew?

It was different, she mused, the idea of getting rid of a group of faceless enemies. This was too close to home for Zuko, and Iroh too, most likely. She'd deliberately not thought what Sokka and Zuko had planned for the captives of the ship, but they were now faced with the ugly reality of war.

The soldiers had seemed so happy to see Zuko.


	3. It's Important to Find Common Ground

"Dad and the others will come to join us in the morning," Sokka confirmed, sliding off Appa's back. Momo on his shoulder chittered happily and scurried into Katara's hair. Aang helped Iroh down off the bison's back and the older man went straight to Zuko, pulling him into a hug.

"Sokka told us what happened," Aang said quietly, tugging at Katara's elbow and guiding her towards Toph and Sokka. They headed up to the bridge where the signs of their battle were still too clear. Katara was a little dismayed at the sight of the scorched, blackened windows and the -for lack of a better word- trashed control panels of the ship.

"How is he?" Sokka asked.

"Pretty mad." Katara peered down at the deck where Iroh and Zuko were talking at the railing, Zuko leaning heavily over the water with his head down. Iroh's hand was steady on his back and they looked for all the world like a father and his son. "I don't think he was prepared to fight people he actually knew."

"It's a lot to ask." Aang agreed. "The question is-"

Katara glanced back to see Aang looking conflicted. "You don't trust him?" She challenged, ignoring her own tiny, tiny suspicion in favour of indignation. "He helped us capture the ship didn't he?"

Aang's hands were up in surrender. "I didn't say that."

"I trust him," Sokka said, and Toph nodded. "But I think we should keep an eye on him just in case." He looked down at the firebenders on deck with a shrug. "We do need them- not just because they know the enemy better than we do, but they can also teach Aang firebending."

Katara could have hit him. They'd deliberately not been mentioning firebending around Aang! He'd been so against it ever since they'd left Jeong Jeong's village.

"You're right." Aang simply said. "I'm not happy about it, but Guru Pathik forced me to face a few hard truths. I'm the Avatar and no matter how much I hate it, there are some things I have to face… head on."

"Sounds like Guru Pathik was really helpful, Aang." Katara smiled reassuringly, and Aang paused before giving her a slightly odd smile back.

"So we're settled then?"Toph checked. "Everyone's gonna trust Prince Sulky?"

"Unless he gives us a reason not to." Aang nodded.

They agreed and headed back downstairs. The rest of the evening was spent combing through the ship for replacement clothes and food. Katara hadn't really considered it before, but she realised when she found armour that fitted well- the Fire Nation was unusual in that it had women serving in its army alongside the men. She couldn't remember seeing women serving in the Earth Kingdom army, and the Kyoshi Warriors were an independent force. The Northern Water Tribe certainly didn't let women serve, and the Southern Water Tribe didn't have women take up traditional warrior roles unless they were waterbenders.

Perhaps that was simply the result of a whole country so focused on war; anyone who wanted to fight was allowed.

Katara found the ship's kitchen quite serviceable; there was plenty of meat, fish and vegetables, along with lots of spices and herbs that she didn't know well. There was also a rather good tea selection, which Iroh was sure to appreciate, and enough rooms in the ship for the girls to sleep separately to the boys (which always felt like a luxury) but the ship was in bad shape.

When Hakoda and the others arrived tomorrow, they would start work on the repairs to make it seaworthy again, but the expressions on Zuko and Iroh's faces when she told them the furnaces were out didn't fill her with hope.

"Can't you just… bend the water out of it?" Zuko asked, making a vague gesture that was supposed to be a waterbending move, presumably.

"Maybe…" Katara grimaced. "Would that be enough?"

"This is a problem for tomorrow's sun," Iroh said gently, sipping on a dark olive coloured tea. "You are tired, nephew, and have had a long day."

"I'm not tired. I just need to do something."

Katara watched as he paced. There were deep, dark bags under his eyes that hadn't been there before, and she hadn't thought it was possible for him to look any tenser than he had been after Ba Sing Se.

"You could help me cook dinner?" Katara suggested. "I could use the help, especially with the extra mouths to feed… and I don't know much about "

"That's…" Zuko's shoulders hunched defensively, before closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. "Sure. I'd be happy to help."

"That sounds like a very good idea, Master Katara." Iroh smiled gratefully at her, and she wondered what he thought of the captive soldiers downstairs. She didn't know much about how they had lived before Ba Sing Se, but something had clearly led them to that tea shop Ba Sing Se. When she'd spotted them, her instinct had been to run and warn the others. It couldn't have been a coincidence, their presence in the same city as her friends.

But in the cave, he'd been so different from how she remembered him. She'd touched his scar, and there'd been a strange intimacy in that moment. She could still feel the ghost of that curiously fragile skin beneath her fingers, even though it had long gone.

In the ship's kitchen, Zuko began grouping the spices into little groups of what went well together, and she watched with a curious smile, surprised at his capability. "So… you really ran a tea shop? It wasn't some sort of cover?"

He nearly dropped the bottle he was holding and stared at her, stunned. "How on earth do you know about that?"

"I saw you," She admitted with a lovely grin. "Before the caves… I was looking around and I saw you serving tea with your uncle."

"Ah. Yeah. We were." He looked embarrassed, but it wasn't the angry defensive embarrassment she might have expected. The mood was different here, on their own. There was calm amongst the pots, pans and dishes that was missing on deck with the others.

Something had been created between them in Ba Sing Se that made Katara feel comfortable with him, and the way he gave her a shy smile before turning away to look through some cupboards made her think he felt the same.

"So how did the Fire Nation prince and his uncle end up in Ba Sing Se running a tea shop?" She prodded, getting out a large, flat bottomed pot with a lid. "We hadn't seen you for a while."

Since Iroh had been struck by the princess's lightning. She had been sure Iroh would die without her healing and she'd offered but Zuko had reacted like a cornered animal, and they'd needed to escape.

"Uncle wanted a quieter life." He said eventually. "And he makes good tea. Apparently."

"I'm glad he's alright."

He paused, and eyed her warily. She wasn't sure why, and it struck her as a strange reaction to a fairly basic sentiment. "Yeah." He straightened. "These will go well in a stir fry, I think. Uncle always groups them together like this."

"Thanks." Katara allowed the change of subject. "I'm a bit lost in a Fire Nation kitchen, to be honest. I appreciate the help."

Zuko was collecting different brightly coloured vegetables from a large metal pantry. "I don't know much- I never had the patience for cooking really well but after my banishment, my uncle taught me the basics…" He avoided her eyes looking uncomfortable again. "The crew did too."

"You were with them a long time?" She knew he was in trouble with the fire nation, but the way he said 'banished' had caught her off guard.

He nodded. "It's really... strange to be their enemy."

"I'm sorry," Katara couldn't really help her reaction; the mood was too close to that of the caves. She reached up and touched the side of his face, where the scar had been. He stiffened and closed his eyes, nostrils flaring a little. "I'm glad you're with us. I can't imagine how hard it must be to fight against your friends."

His eyes snapped open and with a small tilt of his chin, he was out of her grasp. "They're not…" He reaches for the words but seemed unable to verbalise his thoughts.

Katara frowned, puzzled. "Three years is a long time to not have friends."

"Are you making fun of me?" He sounded annoyed but there was an undertone of frosty hurt. She could almost feel the wall between them.

"No, of course not." She grabbed his arm, fixing him in place. "I'm just saying… I think they were. They seemed really happy to see you. The older guy…"

"Jee." Zuko supplied. But he looked uncomfortable at the firebender's name, so Katara changed tactics.

"You were young, right? You must have been about my age or younger when you started travelling with them. It sounds lonely." She but her lip, contemplating how best to get him to relax, to feel comfortable and safe with them. She didn't know a lot about the Fire Nation but to send -what? A thirteen-year-old boy?- on a mission to find the avatar seemed so strange. It made her wonder what Zuko's life had been like- young and alone on a ship full of adults with no one his own age.

It didn't seem right.

So she tugged him into an awkward hug. Awkward, because he didn't seem quite sure what to do; he was stiff and his arms didn't really move but he didn't push her off either. "We're friends, Zuko. I promise that all of us have your back. I might not know a lot about you but we know the most important thing- you're one of us and we're going to restore balance to the world."

She held on a little longer, and he patted her back stiffly before clearing his throat a little and nodding. "Um, thanks."

"Right then." Katara stepped back. "You said these would be good for stir-fry? What's that and how do I make it?"

It turned out that fire nation cooking was different to water Tribe food styles; although there were uses for the familiar flat-bottomed pots she'd taken out, they were primarily used for soups and larger quantities of rice. Zuko showed her a large pan called a wok, and how to quickly throw noodles and ingredients together to produce quick dishes that could be served within a few minutes. It was quicker than the stews and soups she'd been making for the group on the road, but required more ingredients. It suited Zuko's temperament, she supposed- he didn't seem like the sort of person who would sit and monitor a slow cooking dish when there were avatars to capture.

Zuko took a tray of meals up to the others in the bridge, and Katara took the dishes for the soldiers down to the hold. She hadn't really wanted Zuko to see them if he wasn't ready, and he'd not objected.

The low hum of conversation stopped as she got nearer to the door, and she passed the bowls through the bars to quiet, polite thanks from the soldiers. They didn't seem openly hostile, but they remained mostly silent as they passed the bowls around. The firebenders had their feet fixed to the floor and they all had their hands bound. It was surely quite uncomfortable, but there wasn't much Katara could do about that.

"Where is Prince Zuko?" Jee asked, shuffling a little closer to the bars. "Is he well?"

"Um…" Katara looked around the room. "He's ok." She nodded. "Iroh's here with him and they… they're both glad that all of you are alright too."

"General Iroh's alive?" Jee smiled. "I'm glad. The rumours were dire indeed. He was always a good man. Would you let him know that music night was never the same after they left us at the North Pole?"

"The North Pole?" The night the moon died. "Uh… sure. I'll let him know."

"It's funny." Jee went on, almost conversationally although he had a shrewd glint in his eye. "None of us would ever have imagined the Prince would betray his father this way, but perhaps it was inevitable. We're loyal to the Fire Nation, of course… but I could never do that to my own child."

He seemed to be waiting for her to ask, and Katara had an inkling that he was talking around Zuko's banishment and perhaps even his scar. It felt like forbidden information. She desperately wanted to know more, to understand her new friend but…

Would it hurt? If it wasn't him that told her? He may never tell her himself but she was so curious, and Jee was willing to talk.

"Ah, Lieutenant Jee. It is so good to see you." Iroh's voice was deceptively genial, and Katara jumped, turning to look at the older man. He had found some fire nation clothing, looking much smarter and better groomed than before. He smiled warmly and put a heavy, warm hand on Katara's shoulder. "Master Katara, if you would allow me,... It is one of life's greatest pleasures to catch up with old friends."

Logic told her that it was dangerous to leave Iroh with the soldiers, but the older man had helped them at the North Pole, and against Azula… he hadn't given them a reason to doubt him… So she went upstairs.

.

"Dad!" Katara beamed, tackling her father in a tight bear hug. "It's so good to see you!"

Her father smelled like the cold and sea prunes- and the feel of his returned hug took her right back to long summers where the sun never set and campfires with her mother and Gran Gran.

He was mumbling comforting things into her hair, and Katara clung to him like a child. It had been so, so long and being apart had hurt.

Sokka was helping pull bags and supplies off Appa, and Aang was chatting away to Bato, so Katara revelled in her own quiet reunion with her dad and beamed up at him. "How are you?"

"Not bad." Hakoda cupped her face. "But I've been adrift for too long and it's good to have you and your brother with me." He looked tired and paler than she remembered but he was still so tall, and broad and strong and so dad.

Sokka was at their father's shoulder with the widest grin and Katara pulled him in too so their too-small family was clutched together in a tangle of arms. "Dad we have so much to show you- with this ship we have access to the most up-to-date movements of other Fire Nation ships and we should be able to avoid them as far as maybe even Crescent Island… We have maps."

"That's amazing!" Hakoda grinned, pulling back. "Spirits, Katara- you're so big now! And a great Waterbending Master…" He beamed down at her and Katara felt a sting at the reminder of just how long it had been- and how much had changed.

"Come on." Sokka tugged at their dad's arm. "You have to meet the others properly." He pulled Hakoda towards the bridge, where Toph was supposed to be bending the distorted metal and making repairs, but instead it seemed she was practicing tearing stuff up even more.

Then they headed down to a room Iroh had referred to as the gymnasium, where Zuko, Iroh and Aang were meant to be rehearsing some basic firebending stances. As they entered Aang was chatting away to Zuko as though they'd been friends forever, with Iroh sat on the floor with a pot of tea, looking perfectly content and happy.

"Dad, this is Aang, the Avatar, and Zuko and Iroh, who are teaching him firebending." Sokka pointed to each of their friends in turn. "We found Aang in an iceberg, so he's like… 100 years old, Iroh really likes tea and Zuko is the crown prince of the Fire Nation- Iroh and Zuko used to try to kill us like, all the time, but now we're buds. Everyone, this is dad. He left to fight the Fire Nation years ago with the Southern Water Tribe Warriors and is basically the best chief ever."

Iroh stood slowly and gave a formal bow. "It is a great pleasure to meet you Chief… Dad."

"Hakoda." The younger man smiled, unable to resist responding to Iroh's kindly smile with anything less than a bow in return. "Uh… It's nice to meet you both too." He glanced at Zuko a little strangely. Zuko, for his part, looked like he very much wished the floor would swallow him bowed his head to Zuko before turning to Aang. "Avatar Aang, I have heard so much about you." Aang smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his freshly shaved head (the team had made good use of the bathroom facilities that morning, despite the cold water).

"It's great to meet you too sir." Aang straightened.

"So you're learning firebending?" Hakoda seemed determined to power through his discomfort at being faced with two members of Fire Nation royalty, and turned to Iroh and Zuko with a wider, more natural smile. "From royalty no less! What an opportunity."

Zuko glanced at Hakoda's face wary, searching for the sarcasm but Hakoda was already back to Katara and Sokka, eager to explore the rest of the Fire Nation ship. There was a tightness around his eyes that Katara understood, though it worried and… to be honest kind of irritated her.

He'd not been around when Zuko and Iroh had been pursuing them- what right did he have to worry about them now?

That wasn't fair. She knew that wasn't fair, but the thought snaked its way in and hardened her heart a little. She remained mostly quiet as Sokka gave Hakoda the tour of the boat, and slipped back up the the gymnasium when they joined the other warriors.

"How's it going?" She asked as she entered. All three were sat cross legged on the floor in a circle, and Aang grinned up at her.

"We're meditating!" He chirped. "Iroh's teaching us about our inner fire."

"Inner fire?"

"Firebenders create fire themselves, whereas the other types of bending use existing materials." Aang explained quickly, and Zuko demonstrated with a casual twist of his wrist, holding a tiny dancing flame in his palm. "Isn't it cool?"

"I hadn't thought about that before." Katara realised, and moved to look closer at Zuko's flame. It floated and danced just above his hand like a spirit, but he extinguished it before she could get a closer look. "Hey!"

"Fire's dangerous." He frowned severely. "It requires total focus to master and can cause massive damage if you're not careful." Aang's face paled at the harshness of Zuko's tone but the guilty glance to Katara didn't come as expected, he simply nodded. Katara wondered about Zuko's scar, and glanced quickly to the now-unmarred left side of his face (although, now that she looked, he seemed to have a slight shadow of stubble). How had it happened? She remembered the near-blinding, stinging pain of her burned hands keenly so what on earth must that have felt like?

"But nephew, fire is also life." Iroh interjected. "You never remember."

Zuko rolled his eyes and Katara exchanged a wicked grin with Aang. "Because it doesn't make sense!" Zuko dragged a hand through his hair and scowled when he spotted Katara and Aang's expressions. "What are you two laughing at?"

"Nothing." They chimed, and Zuko fell back onto the floor with a huff. He was so unintentionally dramatic about it that Katara couldn't help a small giggle.

Aang leaned towards Iroh with a furrowed brow. "What exactly do you mean by 'fire is life'? I've never heard that before."

"Perhaps one day I will be able to show you." Iroh smiled gently. "But for now, perhaps we should meditate on it."

Katara cleared her throat. "Could I join? I uh- I'd like to hang out here for a bit, if you don't mind." She shifted uncomfortably as all three of them eyed her oddly. "Obviously I'm not a firebender…"

"Of course you can stay, Master Katara." Iroh held out his hands in welcome, and nodded to the boys to make space in their circle. "I am a firm believer in learning techniques from all bending styles. We are all one people after all."

Zuko sat up with a sigh and shuffled along with Aang to let her in the circle. She sat between them with her legs crossed as theirs were. She had seen Aang meditate before, but waterbenders (as far as she'd seen) didn't require it to hone their abilities.

So she settled down and tried to focus on Iroh's instructions as he led the meditation session, but it didn't come to her easily. She sneaked a peek and deflated slightly when she realised the others all had their eyes closed and looked as calm and serene as can be. How annoying.

She was about to close her eyes again but found herself watching Zuko instead. She had seen Aang meditate a hundred times or more, and Iroh always had an unnaturally serene manner but their former enemy was transformed during meditation. His face was usually a flurry of emotion; his brow either up or down, eyes widened or narrowed, either frowning or… well, usually frowning.

Now, his brow was smooth and relaxed under straight, dark hair, eyes closed and long, dark lashes flickered against his cheeks. He looked so young and it was… weird.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Katara looked away and met Iroh's dark amber eyes. He was still guiding the meditation but had an odd smile on his face. Katara felt her face heat up and screwed her eyes shut quickly, attempting to block out the embarrassment. Her blood pounded in her ears and she tried to focus on the low, soothing sound of Iroh's voice, the way the boys were.

Instead, she found herself mulling over Zuko's appearance or, more specifically, the recent appearance of the stubble on his cheeks and chin. He had showered and washed the same as the rest of them that morning, but he hadn't shaved?

Were they out of razors? No, Aang had shaved, and Iroh had neatened his beard that morning. Maybe he was growing a beard? She suppressed a shudder at the idea of Zuko with a beard. No, absolutely not. He'd have to shave. Even if she had to force him to, herself.

.

After she and Zuko prepared lunch for everyone, Katara once again found herself with her family in their 'war room' along with Bato. Sokka was showing their dad the best route to the Fire Nation based on the existing planned Fire Nation Navy deployments. Sokka's recommendation was to go through the serpent's pass, which he reasoned was treacherous enough that few ships would follow them through even if they were detected. "We have like, five benders on this ship. No sea monster can defeat us!"

Hakoda listened to it all with a proud glint in his eye, and nodded where appropriate, asking questions and generally bonding with his son. His daughter, on the other hand, held back. She wasn't sure why but the more time she spent with Hakoda, the angrier she felt. It was like a cold vice on her heart and she knew it hurt him, but the irritation was enough to make her snappish and bad tempered.

"We need to get the furnaces up and running soon. This ship should make good time but I'd rather be a little early than risk being late." Hakoda waved a hand. "Could your firebender friends not just…"

"They're waterlogged." Sokka explained. "We need to let them dry first."

"Oh- Katara can't you pull the water out?" Hakoda turned to her and she flushed.

"No I can't just pull it out, dad." She snapped. "I have to do it in sessions. The water was dirty and that's making it complicated. Obviously." Bato looked up from the map, eyeing her with concern. Hakoda's eyes softened, looking hurt, which made Katara feel guilty for feeling angry, but also just made her angrier. He was the one who had left. "Iroh says the furnaces should be ready to go in a day or so. That's all. He actually understands how these ships work so I'm sure we'll be fine for time."

"That's great, Katara." Bato said soothingly. Sokka gave her a confused look, but she shrugged and walked over to the captain's desk, a little further back from the table of maps. She half-listened to Sokka's invasion plans for the day of Black Sun, and instead rifled through the drawers idly looking for something to calm her down.

A large, leather bound tome sat in the top left drawer, covered in inky smudges and with the binding peeling at the spine. She pulled it out and inspected it carefully. It was a captain's log book, with a faded gold Fire Nation insignia on the front cover. Inside, it had Lieutenant Jee's name and rank, along with a crew list. The names had little dates next to them, showing how long each crewmember had been with the ship. Ships, she realised. The names were listed under the names of the ships he'd commanded.

The dates gave her a strange, hollow feeling. Some of them were only brief, and a lot of names had their final dates down as the day of the battle in the North Pole. Zuko's crew must have been under Zhao that day, and had suffered for it. The Northern Water Tribe had suffered for it too. She spotted Iroh's name- he had left the crew the day of the battle too. It made sense, she supposed. He wasn't aligned with Zhao's ambition to kill the Moon spirit. Zuko's name was here too, but his end date was earlier by several days.

How strange. She didn't know he'd left the ship so early. How had he gotten to the North Pole, if it wasn't with his crew?

She scanned the pages for highlights. She found the day Zuko and Iroh had formed the crew… only brief notes, but they gave clues as to the general sequence of events. Banished Prince Zuko and General Iroh joined crew... Prince eager to pursue rumours of surviving airbenders…. Visit to Western Air Temple, no sign of Avatar… Weather mild… Due North… Possibility of Waterbender Avatar in South Pole- That would explain their appearance at her village. They'd been assuming the airbender avatar had died. It gave her a hollow, sick feeling as she thought back to her mother's pleading with the Fire Nation soldier who had killed her.

A lot had changed in less than a year.

Music night… Terrible Tsungi Horn player… Disagreement with Prince Zuko… Details of banishment by the Fire Lord…

She paused. There was no real detail, but that creeping feeling of invading Zuko's privacy had returned. So Zuko's father had banished him then. She'd logically known that must be the case. Who else could banish a crown prince but the king? But what father would banish his own son?

The feeling of intruding made her more irritable, and she snapped the log book closed before she could read further. She wasn't researching an enemy's movements. She was snooping on a friend.

Sokka, Bato and her dad were in deep discussion still, and Katara was in the mood for a sparring match, so she headed out onto deck and found Toph. She didn't spar with the earthbender often, but beggars couldn't be choosers and Toph was a determined fighter.

Katara had the advantage on the ship, the seawater was abundant and moved easily, crashing over the side of the ship and putting Toph on the defensive, testing her stance, but Toph was finding metalbending easier every day, and fixed her feet to the deck to weather the Katara's storm. This worked in Katara's favour though, as Toph's restricted leg movement meant she could only achieve limited bending stances.

Luckily Toph was a willing battering ram for Katara's frustration, and happily goaded her into increasingly aggressive attacks. "Come on Sugar Queen! What are you holding back for?" She cackled, armouring herself with the stairs to the bridge (much to the protests of the water tribe warriors now stranded up there) and sending nuts and bolts at Katara in short, sharp bursts.

Katara swiped the projectiles to the side, advancing on her firmly fixed opponent with a grin. With a triumphant shout she brought a water whip towards Toph, just as metal shackles caught her feet and wrapped themselves around her hands, bringing her to a deep bow at the metalbender's feet.

Panting, she grinned up at Toph, who stepped out of her armour with a matching grin. "Thanks." She breathed. "I needed that."

"Yeah, obviously." Toph did a little stamp of her feet and the shackles released. Katara sat up and looked up to the sky with a sigh. "What's up?"

"It's just-" Katara blew hair from her face. "Dad."

"Ah." Toph nodded knowingly. "Yeah- alright, I get it! Quit your whining." She replaced the stairs for the stranded Water Tribesmen and huffed. "Daddy issues."

"Right." Katara said flatly. "Says you."

Toph simply shrugged.

In search of more ways to keep herself occupied, she headed downstairs to the furnaces for another hard hour or so bending filthy water from the coals. She was grimy and sweating when Zuko eventually sought her out. He eyed her with a speculative smirk.

"Having fun?"

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "The time of my life. Aren't you meant to be teaching Aang meditation techniques?"

He wrinkled his nose at her. "Aang knows meditation better than Uncle, I think. It's better I stay out of the way before Uncle tries more of that fire is life stuff."

"Come on." Katara grinned. "I need a wash and you need to shave."

He looked vaguely affronted. "No, I don't."

"You absolutely do." She headed through and pushed his shoulder, frog-marching him toward the bathroom. "Come on. You only just got your face back and you're looking terrible already."

Once in the bathroom, she all but forced the razor into his hand. He kept his back to the wall and glared at her stubbornly. "What is your problem?"

She put her hands on her hips, glad to have someone to vent her frustrations at. "You'll never pass for a decent Fire Nation soldier with that stubble." She seethed. She began to fill the bathtub with cold water and grabbed a soap for him to use. He was standing stiffly in the middle of the room, looking slightly appalled.

It took her a moment to realise what he was doing. "Zuko…" she stepped closer. "Are you avoiding the mirror?"

Golden eyes flicked to the offending item behind him and back to her with a wince. "... don't be ridiculous."

"You are." She shook her head in confusion. "Why? What's wrong?"

He lifted his chin and glared at her. "It doesn't- ugh it's none of your business."

Katara crossed her arms, stunned. "Zuko…" She bit her lip, concerned. "Did I… Did I make a mistake? It looks like the other half of your face but… if I made a mistake when I healed you I'm really sorry…"

"It doesn't look like me." He said finally, with a shake of the head. "I know it is but… my face has been a reminder of my purpose… my destiny for so long and now when I look in the mirror it looks like someone else."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Iroh's reaction to Zuko's face had been simple joy, and the other soldiers had looked stunned. His face was… sure, it was different to how it looked with the burn scar, but it was a good face. Handsome, even, in a very Fire Nation kind of way.

"My own crew didn't recognise me." He said quietly, and Katara huffed to cover the strange guilt coiling in her belly.

"Sit down." She ordered, taking the mirror from the wall and firmly avoiding his gaze. "I don't understand it, but if you don't want to look- if you're not ready, then it's ok. But you can't go around growing a beard."

She pushed him into the chair and set about preparing a bowl of water.

"Do you even know how to shave?" He asked warily.

"Who do you think shaved Sokka's head as a kid? Here- Heat this up." She shoved the bowl into his hands and he obliged. The bowl began to steam in his hands with no flame needed. Handy, she thought. "You can heat my bath up afterwards, as thanks." She decided, and Zuko simply rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Thanks." He was probably aiming for sarcasm, but it came out far too relieved for the effect to really take hold. If he's not ready, she thought to herself, then he doesn't need to look. Not yet. She lathered the soap over his face and brought the blade close to the base of his neck.

She grinned. "You know how often I pictured this?"

"Shaving me?" Zuko muttered. "You're strange." She flushed and dragged the razor up towards his jaw.

"A knife at your neck." She laughed. "I suppose that's even stranger."

"Well…" He played along. "I frequently fantasised about having you guys on a Fire Nation Ship… so I'm glad we both got what we wanted."

"Fantasised?"

"Shut up." He flushed. "You started it." She laughed properly then; he just sounded like any of the other boys who got embarrassed and defensive when caught out.

"I did." She allowed. "There. All done." She patted his cheek in an overly-familiar gesture he clearly resented. "Now, heat the bathtub."

He sighed, but knelt by the metal tub and placed his hands on the side. He breathed in deeply, and the tub water began to move, agitated by heat. She held out one hand over the water with an incredulous smile. "Is that about right?" He checked.

"Perfect." She breathed. "That's a very useful bending technique."

"It's one of Uncle's favourites anyway." Zuko quirked his left eyebrow in an amused expression that would have been lost in the scar. "The rest of our family always thought it was fairly useless… or, rather, too domestic."

"Well, we all take on our fair share here." Katara stretched. "Now, get out of here. I need to wash."

"Oh, uh- of course." He dipped into an odd little bow before flushing at his own reaction. "Later."

Katara waved him off with a grin and turned to the tub as the door shut behind her. Yes, she thought as she quickly shed her clothes and sunk into the warm water, a useful skill indeed. And they would all take their fair share of each other's burdens here. That's what friends were for.

* * *

Yes, so there's a lot of just... chat in this chapter, but I wanted to get relationships a little more established before we start heading into Book 3 episodes. I also wanted to put in some cute fluffy moments along with some of the more emosh parts. I hope it was enjoyable! Reviews are the best! Thank you to those who have commented so far it's really nice. I know this isn't a very original concept but I'm hoping it adds something worthwhile!


	4. Old Friends are Important too

The next week or so passed in a blur of routine. Once the ship was fixed well enough to move, they made their way up to the Serpent's Pass. As Sokka had predicted, there were few Fire Nation Ships around, and those they did see were distant. No one was allowed up to the deck without first wearing Fire Nation uniforms, which Katara found frustrating. The red clothes felt uncomfortable at first, but she found solace in working hard in preparation for the Day of Black Sun.

There was usually some form of training going on, either on the deck or in the gymnasium, and at mealtimes, Katara and Zuko would head to the kitchen to prepare something for the many people on the ship. Then Katara would take the food down to the prisoners below, sometimes accompanied by Iroh, and try not to get lured into conversation with any of the soldiers there.

Sometimes, Jee would be the chatty one, asking after Zuko and trying to get the story from her about how she'd healed his scar. Sometimes it would be one of the others. They wanted to know how their prince was doing and how he had been healed. It was fairly draining and she could understand why Zuko avoided them. When Iroh was with her, he would make idle chit-chat with them, but he never gave details as far as she could tell.

They didn't seem as though they were trying to escape, and Iroh seemed to know when she was unable to face them alone. He always accompanied her those times.

Sokka, Hakoda, Bato, Iroh and Zuko would also frequently shut themselves in the war room to discuss tactics and possibilities for the day of Black Sun.

Most mornings, Katara would shave Zuko's face for him before the others awoke. He rose with the sun, after all, and Katara got into the rhythm of waking early with him and Iroh for their morning routine. The furnaces, once repaired, meant they didn't need to heat the bathwater manually anymore, but before he left the bathroom each morning Zuko still made sure the tub was a decent temperature for Katara's bath.

Each morning, Katara would ask him to check for patches she might have missed in the mirror, and each morning Zuko gave her a slightly sad smile and shrugged. "I trust you."

Aang was strangely distant most of the time. He was still friendly, but he didn't seek her out as much as he had before and it hurt. Perhaps it was just because they all had so much to do, or maybe it was because of the increased size of their travelling group but Katara hadn't noticed any such change with the others. Sometime after their passage through the Serpent's Pass, Katara resolved to ask him about it.

But they passed it and Katara still hadn't found the right time. They were well on their way through the Great Divide before she managed to find him alone one evening, practising firebending stances in the gymnasium.

She watched him for a moment from the doorway. He was doing the stances but hadn't yet produced a single flame. "You've not tapped into your inner fire yet?" She teased, and he didn't break stride but smiled nonetheless.

"Iroh's a great teacher, but I can't produce any yet." He finished his sequence and brought his hands together in an unfamiliar clasp, bowing to an imaginary opponent before turning to her. Momo clambered onto his shoulder with a pomegranate in hand. "He keeps saying 'fire is life' but I don't totally get it. Luckily Zuko doesn't really seem to get it either so I don't feel too bad."

Katara shrugged, biting her lip. She was never any good at keeping things to herself. "Has something changed? It feels like you're… far away." She flushed, annoyed at herself as Aang's smile faded. "Forget it, I'm being stupid."

"No, you're not." Aang sighed and gave Momo a scratch behind the ear. "Katara, you must have known how I felt about you."

"What do you mean? We're friends."

Aang gave her a significant look and she fell silent. "Well, sure. Of course, we are and we always will be but- I felt something else too." He gestured for her to sit with him on the cushions by Iroh's Pai Sho board. "When I was with Guru Pathik he told me that in order to gain control over the Avatar State, I needed to be able to let go of the things tying me down. I had to let go of my grief over the lost Air Nomads, my guilt over burning you and… well… my love for you."

Katara wasn't sure what to say to that. He'd confessed his love to her at the same time as saying he'd already let her go. What did that even mean?

"I do love you Katara," Aang said. "But I also love Sokka, and Toph, and Zuko… I have a mission and I can't really think about anything else until balance has been restored." He paused. "At first, I couldn't let go of my attachment to you. I left Guru Pathik before unlocking the Avatar State because I saw a vision… you were in trouble."

"The Caves." Katara breathed, tears gathering in her eyes. "You left early because I'd been captured."

Aang nodded. "But when we fought Azula I knew I had no choice but to go back and unlock it. We needed it to fight her and I'll need it again to fight the Firelord." He reached out and took her hand. "Ever since then, it's felt different. I've felt different. I love you." He smiled again. "But it's different."

"Right." Katara gave his fingers a squeeze. "I think I understand. You have to do what you have to do. I'm sorry that I made it hard for you."

He shook his head and squeezed her hand in return. "No, it's not a bad thing, really. It's never been a bad thing just… bad timing." He shrugged. "I, uh… I'll always love you." It felt like a goodbye but Katara had to remind herself it wasn't, not really. Aang had mastered the Avatar State and it had been the right choice. This was war and everyone had to make sacrifices. If her closeness with Aang had been the result of romantic feelings above anything else then it wasn't what she had thought it had been, but if their friendship could survive this then it could survive anything.

It would survive. Katara was sure of it. They would work with their new dynamic and come out the other side stronger for it. Whatever might have been wasn't her concern right now. The future had a thousand possible paths and they interconnected at different points. All Katara and Aang could do would be to make their choices as they went.

.

Zuko and Katara were practising their bending with a quick sparring match in the gymnasium when their disguises were faced with their first challenge.

"A Fire Nation ship is approaching," Bato interrupted as Katara deflected a particularly weak fireball. Zuko's firepower had been steadily decreasing the longer he was with them and she wasn't sure whether it was born of a reluctance to injure or whether something else might be the matter. "I need Zuko up top." Zuko straightened a little, casting a nervous glance at Iroh. "Iroh's too recognisable. You're not."

"Not anymore, anyway!" Sokka grinned from behind Bato. "Isn't that great?" Katara caught the grimace Zuko gave her brother and scrambled up after them.

"I'm in uniform." She justified to Sokka. "And if things go wrong…"

"They won't. We have a real Fire Nation expert on our side." Sokka gave Zuko an affectionate slap on the shoulder.

"We have to be careful," Zuko muttered to them. "There are lots of small customs and niceties in Fire Nation culture that, if we get wrong, will tip them off that something is wrong." He glanced up to Bato, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Uncle would be better at this. I never really paid attention to how lower officers behaved with each other." He sounded embarrassed.

Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes and simply exchanged a raised eyebrow with Sokka. Of course, the high and mighty banished prince of the Fire Nation didn't pay attention to lesser soldiers. Sokka smirked. He was going to give Zuko a hard time about this later, once their lives didn't depend on his impression of a lowly ship's captain.

On deck, Hakoda muttered a few words of encouragement to a pale-looking Zuko, who looked out to the approaching ship with a pale face.

"Everyone, just stay calm," Hakoda reassured them, putting his helmet on. "We can handle this."

The warriors covered Appa with a thick red tarpaulin and ducked underneath. Toph and Aang crouched low in a cargo hatch to watch.

Katara could feel her heart thumping as the ship drew nearer. Could Zuko pull this off? His fists were clenched at his sides and, in the Fire Nation armour, looking out to sea with a determined expression, he looked a lot more like the prince they'd first met at the Southern Water Tribe.

She had faith. The ships pulled up alongside each other and a young commander with a dark beard crossed, flanked by two guards with their face shields up. Katara hated those face covers- they looked like skulls and death. Zuko stood to attention at the other end of the gangplank, with Hakoda and Bato at each shoulder.

"Commander, why are you off course? All Western Fleet Ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation." The Fire Nation Captain paused at the edge of the ship and Zuko bowed to him in greeting. She'd not really paid much attention to polite Fire Nation custom either, she realised. She and the others mirrored his actions and bowed from the waist with their hands held in a traditional Fire Nation salute.

"We're part of the Eastern Fleet. We're under orders to move cargo and as you can see, we are in need of some repairs." Zuko lied smoothly. He gestured to the still damaged deck of the ship. "We sail under Lieutenant Jee, who has been struck down with pentapox and is quarantined in the Captain's quarters."

"Eastern Fleet, eh? Admiral Chan should have let us know he was sending one of his ships our way." The soldier frowned. "I also didn't realise Jee's ship had changed fleet."

"It's out of necessity due to the pentapox outbreak," Zuko explained. "And you wouldn't have heard from Admiral Chan. The Admiral is on leave for two months at Ember Island." Zuko bowed. "We got permission to return to Crescent Island from his secretary. I apologise for the lack of communication and take full responsibility." He clasped his hands in front of him and bowed in the stiff Fire Nation way. The other officer nodded.

"Very well. I will send word back to Crescent Island that they are to expect you. With the Avatar out there the outer islands are understandably on high alert so you may have a little more paperwork at the docks. What are your name and rank?"

"2nd Lieutenant Lee." Zuko bowed again. "Thank you for the forewarning. We haven't seen any signs of trouble coming through the Great Divide but will keep an eye out."

"See that you do, Lee." The older man cast a final look around the ship. "And, between you and me, I hear Pentapox is highly contagious. Make sure Lieutenant Jee doesn't leave his rooms until it's over… one way or another."

The callousness of the soldier's order made Katara tense, but Zuko didn't appear to be surprised. He nodded. "We are taking every necessary precaution, sir."

With that, they seemed to bow to each other in unison- Zuko's a little lower than the other soldier's, and the other soldiers retreated back to their ship.

"Well done, son," Hakoda whispered as the gangplank was pulled back. "You did a fine job."

Zuko flushed at the praise but kept his eyes fixed on the other ship. "We won't know for sure until they're out of range… but I think we're alright." He led the others in a final bow to the other ship as they pulled away. "We also know what to expect at Crescent Island now."

The other Fire Nation ship disappeared without incident and they progressed to Crescent Island to gather supplies. Iroh gave Zuko, Hakoda and Bato some tips on how to progress through the island's high-security protocols, and Katara found Aang the evening before they were due to land and found him sprawled against Appa with a deep frown on his face. He had stopped shaving his head on Sokka's suggestion, but he was still reluctant to wear the headband needed to cover his arrow tattoos completely.

"You don't want to get off this ship for a while?" Katara asked and he buried his face deeper into Appa's fur. "That's ok. We'll be back soon and... " She placed a hand on his shoulder and he finally turned to look up at her.

"I want to go. I just… growing hair is bad enough."

"I think I understand." Katara sighed, thinking back to her conversation with Zuko about his scar. "It's a huge part of your identity and your culture, but we're not asking for you to hide it or be rid of it forever." She glanced across the deck to where Zuko was helping Sokka with his Fire Nation armour. "Just for now, so we can get ready for the invasion."

"About that." Aang sat up and looked across to Sokka and Zuko as well. Sokka gave Zuko a playful punch on the arm, and Zuko gave him a small smile in return. "I don't really like Sokka's invasion plan."

But she wasn't really listening. She was watching the easy way Sokka and Zuko interacted after just a week or so at sea together. Zuko seemed to have slotted in with the others neatly, despite his own awkwardness. Iroh had an easy manner about him and was able to talk to anyone, but Zuko was quick to anger or get embarrassed so it seemed especially good news that he had settled. She was pleased; she felt sort of responsible for him, after healing his scar and bringing him into the group. He'd turned against his family and his nation for them and although he seemed less conflicted than he had before, he still hadn't faced the prisoners downstairs.

Whilst they were cooking that evening, Katara decided to broach the subject. Carefully, so as not to spook him. "You've not visited your crew yet."

Well done Katara. Very tactful.

The knife he was holding slipped and he cursed in frustration as his thumb immediately started leaking bright red blood onto the work surface. He brought it up and sucked it, glaring at her. "Katara!" He hissed, and she tugged him over to the bowl of water she had set aside to boil rice in.

"Don't blame me." She sighed. "You're the one who can't be trusted with knives." She bent some water up into her hand and waited, expectantly. He reluctantly pulled his hand out of his mouth and let her cover it in water. The water turned pink quickly, with little blossoms of red as the thumb continued to bleed. He watched as the water began to glow and she guided the skin to knit itself back together, sealing his blood back inside. "There, done." She finished and bent the water into the waste bucket. He had a very odd look on his face as he inspected the thumb.

"It's as good as new." He pondered. "I don't think I've seen you do that before."

"Of course you have." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You've obviously seen me heal before." He caught her meaning and scowled.

"I couldn't see when you… did it before," He crossed his arms defensively. "I've not watched it happen up close. It's… very different to firebending, or even how you use water in a fight." He talked in stilted, halting sentences, and Katara knew he found it difficult to talk about even if she didn't know why.

"It is different." She said, leaning against the side. "It's more instinctive, I guess? I didn't need to learn stances or forms to do it… I just hold the water against an injury and focus… but you're changing the subject. Why haven't you gone with Iroh to speak to your old crew?" ]

He blanched and clamped his mouth shut, eyes glinting a cool gold. She tried again.

"They keep asking about you. I know it must be hard…" She swallowed. "But I think they'd really like to see you."

"You think I should talk to them?" Zuko challenged. "Have you been talking to Uncle about this?"

"No," Katara said firmly, "But if he's recommending the same then I'm sure it's the right thing to do."

"Aren't I doing enough right things, Katara?" He hissed. "I train with Aang, I help Sokka with his invasion strategy and I'm cooking meals for everyone on this ship." He clenched his fists so tightly he shook, and Katara couldn't really help herself- she reached out and took hold of each of his arms.

"It's ok." She affirmed, meeting his eyes. "I'm not going to force you." He relaxed slightly, but still had that awful, walled off look about him. "I don't mean it's the right thing to do for the world, I think it's important for you, yourself, but I understand if you can't do it." She lifted her hand to the newly healed side of his face and he closed his eyes.

"Hey, Sugar Queen. What on earth are you doing to Prince Sulky?" Toph called, slamming open the kitchen door. Zuko flinched away and busied himself with preparing the pak choi. "I was trying to have a nap and I can't hear myself think over this- this…" She waved her hands, irritated. "Hammering. You guys are so loud in here."

She stormed off to her room leaving Katara and Zuko to awkwardly prepare the rest of the meals in silence. Katara let her mind wander and her body carried out their tried and tested meal preparation routine, moving between work surfaces and around each other in the narrow galley without thought. This was just like Zuko's issue with mirrors, she realised, but if he never faced his demons then how could he find peace?

Should she have pushed him more? Was she enabling the avoidance of his issues for the sake of an easier life? She wasn't sure it was her place to force his hand- if his uncle was talking to him about it as well then surely he was the better choice to guide Zuko in the right direction.

But the right direction for who? Would it really help Zuko to talk to his former crew? To look in the mirror? He'd committed terrible crimes before joining them, and she probably only really knew some of it, so if it gave him peace of mind to compartmentalise then maybe she shouldn't get involved.

But, when the food was ready to serve, Zuko took the tray meant for the prisoners downstairs and left without a word.

Katara smiled and took the food up to the mess hall where several of her friends were gathered. As she hauled the large bowls of noodles and rice dishes into the centre of the large table, she caught Iroh's eye. He was smiling too, and his face shone with fatherly pride.

It felt like a long time before Zuko joined them in the mess hall, but he was far from the last to arrive- the Water Tribe warriors, in particular, were very easygoing about what time they ate and often came in hours after food had been served, but it was still dark outside by the time Zuko appeared. He avoided Katara and Iroh's eyes as he served himself food, sitting next to Aang, Toph and Sokka, whose lively conversation meant he could hide from any prying questions.

"Master Katara, have you ever played Pai Sho?" Iroh asked, approaching her. Zuko's eyes flicked toward them but he refocused his attention on Aang before either Katara or his uncle could catch his eye.

"I haven't." Katara smiled. "Would you teach me?"

Iroh inclined his head in a small bow of agreement and led Katara away to the corner, where a low table had been set up for Pai Sho. She wasn't sure if it had been set up by Iroh, or whether it had been left there by the Fire Nation soldiers, but she settled down across from the older man and inspected the tiles carefully as Iroh explained the basic rules to her.

Iroh was easy company, and Katara found herself enjoying his jokes and witticisms as they played. They continued playing until well after most of the others had left the mess hall, and it was just them, Aang, Sokka, Toph and Zuko left.

Katara and Iroh's third Pai Sho game was in full flow, and Katara was pondering her next turn when Iroh leaned in and whispered with a smile. "Thank you for what you said to my nephew. He can be hard-headed at times but his heart is good."

Katara blinked at him. "I know." She said quietly, glancing at the others to check they weren't being listened in on. "I didn't really do anything though." She made her move on the board.

"I disagree." Iroh looked down at the board. "Since joining you and the Avatar, my nephew has begun to blossom- I always hoped he would find his path but seeing him with children his own age, and making friends… it's better than I could have imagined."

Katara found herself wondering what friends Zuko might have left behind in the Fire Nation, and felt a pang of guilt. "I suppose it must have been a long time since he had friends his own age." Iroh gave her an odd, sad smile and she grew hot in the face, feeling uncomfortable. "What do you think they spoke about?"

Iroh sighed. "I do not know, dear child." He moved a tile, taking one of Katara's pieces but intentionally leaving one of his own unprotected. "But I have hope that the conversation gives him some clarity." She took the unprotected tile and he nodded. "Very good." He praised.

"I wish I could help," Katara admitted. "I feel like I did something wrong by healing his face. He doesn't seem happy about it at all."

"He made the choice," Iroh reassured her. "Not you. Besides, my nephew has other scars."

She knew that. She glanced over to the others again but only Toph was facing her with pale, blind eyes and a smirk. The smaller girl was sat close to Zuko who was listening to Sokka tell some sort of story with a small grin. The scene was relaxed and informal, and it warmed Katara's heart to see her friends having a rare moment of just… hanging out.

"Hey, Sugar Queen- Snoozles was just telling us about your first waterbending fight with a tiger seal!" Toph called, and Katara flushed as she realised she was the butt of the joke, and she scowled at her brother.

"Sokka! Quit it- unless you want me to tell them why you sleep with your boomerang!" Pai Sho game forgotten, she launched herself at her brother and the relaxed evening devolved into play fights and messy, playful sparring. They all went to bed that night tired but exhilarated, and Katara could hear the low murmur of conversation in the boys' room even as she drifted off to sleep.

.

Zuko and Aang were in deep conversation when She emerged with the others to head out for supplies. "You guys coming?" Toph asked cheerily.

Zuko shook his head. "We're going to stay on the ship. You guys have fun."

"Are you kidding?" Katara frowned. "You're the one who knows the Fire Nation. How are we meant to order the right things at the market? Or make our way through normal conversation?"

Zuko gave her a scowl. "Most conversation topics I know are about three years out of date. 'Hey! Have you seen the Avatar?' or 'Wow, remember when the Fire Prince got banished?'" He scoffed. "Most people in the Fire Nation will make idle chit-chat about the weather, the same as anywhere else. No need to draw attention to yourselves." He placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Aang and I are going to practise firebending. I'll help sort out the customs paperwork, but then I'll board the ship again."

Katara eyed them suspiciously as they walked down the gangplank and Zuko signed the necessary forms. He made limited conversation with the officer at the docks, leaving Katara to remark politely about the weather, and the expected storm approaching, then he gave her father a small nod and turned back to board the ship as promised.

Her brother hummed thoughtfully. "Why do I feel like Zuko and Aang are up to something?" Katara hummed noncommittally but pressed the purse into Toph's hand.

"Make sure Sokka doesn't buy anything stupid." She hissed and paused. "Also make sure Dad doesn't buy anything stupid." She finished with a squeeze of the younger girl's shoulder and slunk back to the ship.

She got back just in time to see Zuko and Aang preparing to take off on Aang's glider. Aang caught sight of her before Zuko did and snapped it shut with a guilty grin. "Uh- hi Katara."

"What do you think you're doing?" She snapped, arms crossed, and Zuko finally noticed her. The expression on his face would be comical if it wasn't so frustrating. "Were the two of you planning on leaving us?" There was nausea in her belly and she swallowed it down. "Why?"

"Aang needed a break." Zuko started, but Katara held up a hand to silence him, knowing she was being unreasonably angry but unable to help it.

"I can't believe you two. How could you choose to leave?" Her voice cracked under the weight of the sentiment. Zuko looked anguished enough, but Aang shook his head.

"We weren't leaving! We just wanted to check out the Fire Temple again- to see if there was any information…!"

"No, Aang. You don't get to just fly off whenever you want to." Katara turned to Zuko. "And you! I know you're new but we don't leave… we never leave our friends behind…"

"Katara." Hakoda's voice was deep and sorrowful behind her. She closed her eyes, not ready to turn around and face him. To his credit, Zuko caught Aang's wrist and gave it a tug, urging him back inside. "Katara, look at me."

"He thinks he can just leave whenever he wants. He keeps wandering off to do Avatar stuff on his own..." Katara tried to hold the tears back. "He has this ridiculous notion that he has to save the world alone, that it's all his responsibility, and I would have expected Zuko to know better…"

"Maybe they're trying to be brave." Hakoda tried. "They were going to look for information while you were in town- I don't think that's a bad thing."

"It's not brave, it's selfish and stupid!" Katara seethed, no longer really talking about the boys. "We could be helping and I know the world needs him, but doesn't he know how much we need him, too? How can he just leave us behind?"

She finally turned to her father. If there was ever a time to air her grievances this was probably it. "You're talking about me too, aren't you?" He asked.

"How could you leave us, Dad?" She sniffed. "I mean, I know we had Gran-Gran, and she loved us, but we were just so lost without you." The tears overflowed, and she tried to wipe them away.

"I am so sorry, Katara."

"I understand why you left. I really do, and I know that you had to go, so why do I still feel this way? I'm so sad and angry and hurt!" He clutched her to his chest as she sobbed, soothing, stroking the back of her head.

"I love you more than anything. You and your brother are my entire world. I thought about you every day when I was gone and every night when I went to sleep, I would lie awake missing you so much it would ache." His own voice broke, and she held onto him, letting the sorrow overtake her at last.

It wasn't okay, and maybe it never would be, but she felt a little more healed than she was before.

When she felt a little more composed, she headed down to the gymnasium, where Zuko and Aang were sat across from each other in low conversation. As she entered, both boys shot her a guilty look, and Aang jumped to his feet. "We'd have been back before you guys were finished in town, Katara. I'm sorry-"

"What were you going to do?" Katara frowned. "Last time we visited the temple we were attacked by the Fire Sages! Or did you forget?"

"I didn't forget- I just thought if I had Zuko with me they'd join our side."

"What?" Zuko frowned. "You've been to the Fire Temple before?" He looked confused, and Aang shifted his feet guiltily.

"I didn't think you'd let me go if I said the truth," Aang muttered. "I need to spend time in the Fire Nation, for real this time." He took a deep breath. "Ever since I mastered the Avatar State I've been having these dreams, and I need to get to know the country before we end the war. I need to understand it- I'm sorry I lied." He turned back to Katara. "I didn't want to endanger you guys, and I needed a firebending master with me."

"So you were going to kidnap Zuko?" Katara asked, stunned. What an absolutely insane idea.

"Kidnap-?" Zuko spluttered, looking at Aang incredulously. "You wanted to travel through the Fire Nation with me, learning firebending? Just you and me? The two most recognisable people in the world?"

"You're not recognisable." Aang reasoned, and Zuko's hand lifted to his face, as though only just realising his scar wasn't there.

"Still- you can't learn firebending off me. Uncle would be better. My firebending is-..." He trailed off, looking angry. Katara thought back to the last time she'd seen him firebend, and how she'd thought he was getting weaker. "You need a master."

Aang shook his head. "Iroh's a brilliant teacher, but I feel like it's meant to be you that helps me master firebending." He placed a hand to his chest earnestly. "You are the great-grandson of Avatar Roku, after all"

That was news to Katara, and from the look on Zuko's face, it was news to him as well.

Aang blinked. "Didn't you know?"

"It's true, nephew." Iroh's soft voice made Katara jump, and she turned to see the older man in the doorway. "Your mother was descended from Roku's direct line. My father thought her marriage to my brother would be a sensible political move even before he named my brother his heir." He glanced at Aang quickly. "I was waiting to tell you when you were ready, for you see the battle between your mother's and father's ancestors continues inside of you."

Zuko stood slowly, eyes on his uncle. "Why didn't you tell me before- when I had the sickness?" He asked. "Surely that was the time…"

Iroh shook his head. "It did not feel like my place then, and perhaps it was always supposed to be the Avatar who was meant to reveal it to you but who knows, the spirits work is mysterious ways."

Katara thought that was altogether rather unfair of Iroh. If the older man had been steering Zuko toward joining the Avatar, this information could have helped settle his doubts weeks ago. She might have been the catalyst in Ba Sing Se, but if he'd wavered then all could have been lost. Zuko himself looked like he was thinking along similar lines but Aang nodded sagely.

"I have appreciated your teachings, Master Iroh." He bowed in the Fire Nation style, which was returned by Iroh. "But I have to leave this ship tonight."

Katara felt angry tears welling up again, but Zuko shook his head. "You've not yet fully mastered waterbending, and Toph told you your earthbending still needs work. You can't just run around the Fire Nation with a banished prince who can barely firebend." He glanced to Katara before refocusing on Aang. "I can take you through the- the Fire Nation if you want, but we should all go. Uncle too."

"No, nephew, Aang is right. I will stay with the Invasion force. I have work to do here, allies to gather… But yes, the avatar should not be without his teachers."

"And Sokka." Aang nodded in assent. "On the road again… just like old times."

Zuko blinked. "Uh. Sure. Except I won't be chasing you."

"Not unless you run away again." Katara choked out but pulled Aang into a hug. Once the others returned from the town, they would leave. Wandering the Fire Nation, and getting to know its people, sounded unnecessarily dangerous to her, but she had to trust Aang's judgement. And they'd have Zuko. She and Aang both reached out to him and pulled him, awkwardly, into their hug. Over Aang's shoulder she could see Iroh's beaming smile, and eventually, Zuko managed to stiffly return the hug.

* * *

 _I've written the next two chapters already, so don't worry- I should be good with a weekly chapter upload. I hope this is an enjoyable one because I LOVED writing the next chapter._

 _I know I don't have the freedom fighters here, but I wracked my brain and just couldn't figure out how to get them in at this point, so they'll need to join the invasion force later I'm afraid. Also, I've never written ATLA characters before and I'm still getting to grips with them as a group because I want to do justice to everyone. I hope I'm doing ok._

 _Let me know in the comments!_


	5. The Importance of a Good Education

Apparently Zuko had some sort of destination in mind for their travels through the Fire Nation. Or rather, it seemed like on every map he would identify the same place and then avoid it like the plague. She tried to ask Sokka where it was on the map that Zuko was avoiding but Sokka just gave her a confused look and she was forced to drop the matter.

They headed into town for some food, and Katara was glad to be out of their latest cave. "Don't worry, I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago. So, everyone just follow my lead and stay cool. Or, as they say in the Fire Nation, _stay flamin'_." Aang led the way through the town and Katara could _feel_ Zuko's intense embarrassment as he nodded to a stranger. "Greetings, my good hotman."

"Uh, hi… I guess…" The stranger frowned quizzically as they walked past and Sokka gave him a shrug. They approached the restaurant a market vendor had recommended as cheap and tasty, and Aang's face fell.

"We're going to a meat place?"

"Come on, Aang, everyone here eats meat. Even the meat!" Sokka pointed to a hippo cow chewing contentedly on a rotting joint of meat. "Right, Zuko?"

Zuko shrugged apologetically. "I mean… we do eat rice…" Aang smiled encouragingly, and the older boy rubbed the back of his neck. "... you could pick out the meat?"

Katara's stomach was growling too much for her to mind too much that Aang was muttering to himself, the smells coming from the restaurant were far too enticing. She waved at Aang as they headed into the restaurant and picked out a table for four. "What's good?" She asked, sliding onto the bench beside Zuko. He looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the restaurant.

"Is leaving him outside a good idea?" Zuko's brows knitted in concern. "He's going to get into trouble."

"He doesn't like meat restaurants." Sokka waved a hand dismissively. "Come on, Zu- Lee." He corrected at Zuko's glare. "What do you recommend?"

They let Zuko order a selection of dishes for them to try, and Sokka hummed appreciatively as he devoured some sort of dark meat in a bright red sauce. Zuko smiled shyly at their compliments of the food, which made Katara grin in return. He seemed more relaxed than she'd ever seen him outside of his meditation, and he even interacted with the other Fire Nation citizens who treated him with respectful friendliness. The restaurant owner kept coming out to check on their meals, and Zuko had to frequently reassure him that yes, the food was delicious.

"They don't know who you are, do they?" Katara asked eventually. He shook his head.

"No it's my accent." Zuko took a sip of the rice wine and quirked one side of his mouth in a wry smile. "They can tell I'm from Caldera- or at least near enough that I'm some sort of noble." He frowned slightly. "I hope it doesn't attract attention."

"Caldera?" Katara asked and Toph sighed.

"It's the Fire Nation equivalent of the Inner Ring at Ba Sing Se." She scoffed. "I learned about it as a kid. It's the central residential district of the Capital. Sparky's saying he sounds really posh."

"Oh." Katara hadn't really considered Zuko's accent before. It just sounded Fire Nation to her but the way the other Fire Nation people treated him, even in disguise, made more sense now.

"Try the rice wine." Sokka urged her. "It's so good!"

Zuko smiled again and glanced at Sokka's cup, startled. "You drank that quickly…" He frowned. "Wait- you do realise it's alcoholic?"

"Oh no." Toph laughed as Sokka wavered, a slow grin on his face. "Is it?"

Zuko turned to Katara. "Are you guys old enough to drink?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Depends on the country… In the South Pole, yes, in the North Pole, no."

"Fire Nation children can drink at sixteen." Toph supplied, drinking her tea with a smirk, and Katara shrugged.

"I'll have some anyway." She grinned and took one of the small bamboo cups from the centre of the table. "Pour." Zuko paused doubtfully, but Sokka took the bottle and poured a cup for his sister with a conspiratorial wink.

Lunch was fun, and time slipped by quicker than Katara realised- Zuko was in a good mood, and being in the Fire Nation seemed to agree with him. He wasn't exactly joking around but he had a wry sense of humour that awkwardly skirted Katara's own. Once he'd paid for lunch with some of the coins they'd liberated from the ship they wandered through the streets keeping an eye out for Aang and perusing the markets.

"Oh, look." He pointed out a stall full of herbs and other dried plants. "This is the sort of thing we use for healing in the Fire Nation." She inspected the small glass jars of crushed leaves and sprigs of dried plants, pausing at a sunny yellow flower being sold by the ounce.

The stall owner, a fat older lady with a cheerful smile, looked between the two knowingly. "You'd like some silphium?" She asked, opening the jar. "We've had a few young people wanting to increase their supplies lately- likely because of the upcoming eclipse." She winked cheekily, and Katara smiled at her, confused.

"No." Zuko coughed, and the woman turned to look at him with a wider smile. "No, my friend is from the colonies… They don't sell it there so, uh- no, we don't need that." The lady laughed and bobbed her head side to side.

"Well, you never know."

"No, no- we know." He insisted and Katara waved between them.

"What? What is it?" She asked. "What's silphium used for?"

Sokka and Toph came over from a blacksmith stall just as the older lady winked again. "Oh, silphium is used in all sorts of perfumes, potions and teas. It can be a very useful contraceptive. But then again, I'm sure your handsome young man could tell you that."

Sokka coughed, Toph laughed freely and Zuko looked rather like he wanted to leave right now. Katara simply pursed her lips together, as the older woman was clearly enjoying the reaction from the teenagers. "Oh," Katara said. "Uh- no thank you."

They moved on as a young, well-dressed woman approached and asked for a jar of silphium without a shade of embarrassment.

The heat and rice wine made Katara's face feel warm as she cleared her throat. "We should really try to find Aang." She muttered, and Zuko quickly agreed, but they explored the village further and still couldn't seem to track him down. It began to get dark and Katara could no longer really ignore the gnawing worry in her stomach. They reluctantly headed back to their cave, with Toph reassuring them that of _course,_ Twinkletoes hadn't gotten himself captured, or they'd have heard. The logic was sound, but Katara could see the worry in Zuko and Sokka's faces too.

When Aang arrived at the cave, Katara tried to keep her temper in check. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick." She felt guilty, too, that they'd essentially abandoned him in the market, but he really needed to start letting them know where he was disappearing to.

"I got invited to play with some kids after school," Aang explained, removing his head covering with a smile at his friends' surprise.

"After _what?"_ Sokka spluttered.

"I enrolled in a Fire Nation school, and I'm going back tomorrow."

"Aang, that is incredibly dangerous," Zuko frowned. "Someone might recognise you."

"Every minute I'm in that classroom, I'm learning new things about the Fire Nation. I already have a picture of Fire Lord Ozai." He held up a painting of the Fire Lord, and Katara looked between Zuko and the portrait with a raised eyebrow. "And here's one that I made out of noodles!" Aang held up his schoolwork with a grin, to Zuko's dismay. "What do you think?"

"You made a noodle picture of my father." Zuko deadpanned. "I don't know what to think."

"Impressive, I admit, but I still think it's too dangerous." Sokka supplied.

Aang blinked innocently. "I guess we'll never find out about the secret river then. It goes right to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow."

Sokka relented, and Katara met Zuko's eyes as they began to chase each other around the cave. "Is there really a secret river?"

"No." Zuko frowned. "There's a water system to keep the volcano cool, but it wouldn't fit a person. I think Aang just deliberately lied to get his way." They both looked over to Aang and Sokka, who were now chasing Momo - the flying lemur was dragging Sokka's bedroll around the cave and thoroughly enjoying the game.

"Did you know he was wearing a school uniform?" Katara asked.

The fire prince held up his hands defensively. "How was I supposed to know? I never went to school!"

"This is such a bad idea." Katara sighed, but Zuko hummed thoughtfully.

"It might not be. Aang said he had to get to know the Fire Nation, right? Maybe this is a good way." He winced at Katara's glare. "I'm just saying… not everyone in the country is bad. He might… make friends."

.

Of course, Aang made friends, and of course, he got in trouble. Still, how it was that she and Zuko had ended up posing as Aang's parents, she had no idea.

"This is ridiculous," Zuko complained as they got ready at the cave. "There's no way they'll believe Aang's our child."

"You have to commit to it." Sokka encouraged him. "Keep pulling that face, yes _that's_ the one, and you look like, 40 at least!" He also slipped Zuko a small cup of sake which probably helped.

"Mr and Mrs Azumi, your son has been enrolled here for two days and he's already causing problems. He's argued with his history teacher, disrupted music class, and roughed up my star pupil." The Headmaster scolded, and Katara glanced to Zuko, who had put his hair up and sat with his arms crossed imperiously, frowning down his nose at the headmaster with an arched brow. He looked every inch the disapproving diplomat from the colonies, and Katara probably looked like his young, pregnant, foreign bride.

"I'm sure _my son_ was perfectly justified in his reaction," Zuko said coolly, letting whatever accent he had, do its thing to the headmaster. "We brought him back to the Fire Nation so that he would benefit from the finest education, and he never had any trouble in his former school." He glanced to Katara. "Are you aware of any trouble Kuzon had, dear?"

"No, none," Katara said meekly, feeling somehow chastised. "Kuzon was always highly praised by his tutors back home."

"Well, I had reports that he was trying to dance in his music lessons… some things may be fine in the colonies but have no place here in the Fire Nation." The headmaster swallowed as Zuko's eyes narrowed.

"I see." Zuko frowned. "Well that would be a shame, but an adjustment period is to be expected. The colonies in some areas are quite… integrated." The headmaster's eyes flicked to Katara and she flushed. "Surely you can be lenient this once."

The headmaster nodded stiffly. "I take your point."

"We had hoped to avoid moving back to the city full-time, but perhaps this place is too _provincial_." Zuko sighed, looking strained.

"Perhaps." Katara hummed, seeing the angle he was taking. "It may take a while to make the necessary arrangements though." She cast what she hoped was a disappointed frown at the headmaster. "Kuzon will stay until we have made the necessary arrangements, but the ladies at Caldera will be so shocked to hear of the state of the schools in the outer islands."

Zuko stood, and gave the barest nod of his head to the headmaster, who had turned an ugly shade of puce, and led Katara and Aang from his office. Once clear of the school, Aang threw his arm around Zuko with a laugh. "That was _brilliant_ Z- Dad!" He grinned.

Zuko went a little pink but smirked. "It was easier than I thought… and maybe a little bit fun." His eyes were light and gold, and Katara found herself grinning, holding the pillow beneath her dress in place so she still looked pregnant. Who would have thought the serious, stuffy Prince Zuko had it in him? Sokka had been desperate to play dress up but Zuko's knowledge of the Fire Nation and his _posh_ accent had made him much more useful, and she wouldn't have traded this lightness for anything.

"Right- time to get ready for the party!" Aang chirped.

"What party?" Zuko was frowning again and the moment passed.

"I'm throwing a secret dance party!" The younger boy grinned, as though it should be obvious. "For my classmates."

It was a terrible idea, but they agreed that since they were moving on soon, they would let Aang have his dance party. As the children began to arrive, Katara sought Zuko out. He was lighting a series of sconces Toph had created in the cave walls and she watched quietly. No other element benders created their element themselves- it was quite something to see close up and in a non-life-or-death situation. He paused when he saw her watching and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Is it true that dancing isn't allowed?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I think so. It isn't at court, in Caldera, but it's solely done by the entertainment." He glanced up and lit a final sconce. "It used to be more common, but my father never liked it so it wouldn't surprise me if he outlawed it."

She thought back to the portrait of Firelord Ozai that Aang had brought back from school. It had looked uncomfortably like Zuko, and she struggled to reconcile that face with what she knew of Ozai's cruelty. Zuko seemed to find it easier to talk about his father and the Fire Nation these days, and she was glad. It seemed like talking to his former crew had helped him, whatever they'd said.

"So you don't know how to dance?" She smirked. Water Tribe dances didn't follow any particular steps and didn't require much skill beyond following a rhythm, but she wasn't about to let him know that. "You? A prince?"

He gave her an odd look. "Why would royalty need to know how to dance?" He asked.

She eyed him speculatively. "Maybe you just can't cope with the footwork." She teased. "It would be _so_ undignified to trip in the middle of a dancefloor."

"I'll dance when Toph plays the shamisen." He backed away, still awkward, and she smiled. He was still wearing his hair up, and it felt strange to see his whole face so easily. His hair had been growing and he seemed to hide behind it most of the time. It was nice seeing him relaxed and open this way. He was revelling in the relative anonymity his new face afforded him, and she wondered if after the war was over he might travel the world some more, not as a fugitive but just another anonymous traveller.

But she thought back to the portrait of Ozai and quashed the thought. He was going to be the Fire Lord. He wouldn't be anonymous ever again.

Aang was trying to get the other children to dance with him, and Katara took an ice cup of sweet fruit juice. "Listen, guys, dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you." Aang tried.

"Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon, but we don't do that here." A classmate frowned, but Aang was having none of it.

"Sure you do, you have for generations! It just so happens that I know several classic Fire Nation dances. A hundred years ago, this was known as the 'Phoenix Flight'." He demonstrated, to the awe of the other children. "And, this was the 'Camelephant Strut'."

"Who knew Twinkletoes could dance?" Toph grinned.

Aang pulled a girl onto the dancefloor, and she blushed prettily.

"Wow, they look pretty good together." Sokka sounded surprised, and Katara glanced to Zuko, who was watching with the tiniest smile as Aang led the other children in traditional dances from various nations.

"Yeah, if that's what you like." She hummed and watched Zuko's eyes follow the dancers with interest. He looked fascinated and amused, and a few other things she wasn't sure she could place. Maybe _proud_ , but she wasn't sure what of.

He blinked, as though he could feel eyes on him and looked around before catching her eyes. He brought his eyebrows up and gave her a questioning smile. _What?_ He seemed to ask, but without the defensive edge, he would normally exhibit.

She nodded out to the floor. _Aren't you going to join them?_

He glanced to Toph, who wasn't even remotely close to playing any sort of instrument. _No._

She weaved her way through the crowd to him. "Isn't this meant to be the dance of your people?" She asked. "You should learn."

He shrugged. "Toph's not taking up the shamisen, so my hands are tied I'm afraid. Besides-" He paused, as though about to say something else, but clamped his mouth shut.

"What?"

He thought his answer over carefully. "It's just- nice to see Fire Nation children having a good time." He said at last. "I wasn't sure what I'd feel, coming to the Fire Nation with all of you but it feels _good._ " His eyes shone as he watched the students dancing, with Aang leading them to the beat. Katara turned to watch them too, trying to see it through his eyes. Children who'd been raised in war, as she had, but under a syllabus of propaganda and formality, not allowed to dance, and now showing what the Fire Nation _could_ be in the right hands.

In the right hands, it was beautiful. Red silks and pale, happy faces flushed with exertion, the music led the Fire Nation children around in circles, in and out- one boy was throwing some crazy moves on his own and Aang was dancing on with his female classmate who laughed openly as he tried some fancy footwork.

No, not everyone here was bad. No one _here_ was bad. She felt cloth on her bare arm and blinked, realising how close she was stood next to Zuko. He was still entranced by the dancers, and she stepped away again to a more respectable distance.

A boy danced near to them, delighted. "This is incredible! It's like my inhibitions just disappear!" He spotted something at the cave entrance and froze. "Okay, they're back again."

The headmaster entered the cave flanked by soldiers. Zuko tugged Katara's wrist and they melted into the crowd. Toph and Sokka did the same. "He's the one we want! The boy with the headband!"

The children rallied around them, allowing Aang and the others to get to the back of the cave as they distracted the headmaster and soldiers. Aang carried out a quick earthbending move to let them through to where Appa was hidden, giving one of the boys from the school a quick bow before covering the entrance once more.

.

They were on Appa and heading to the next island when Toph finally said "Way to go, dancy pants. I think you really did help those kids, you taught them to be free." She grinned and Aang glanced at Zuko.

"I don't know, it was just a dance party, that's all." He smiled bashfully.

"Well, that was some dance party Aang." Katara grinned at Zuko, who was smiling at Aang.

Sokka nodded sagely. "Flamey-o sir, flamey-o."

* * *

 _A shorter one this time but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter- I hope you can tell! Comments/reviews/love is always appreciated._

 _Playing with the idea of midweek uploads from now on rather than weekend uploads._


	6. Factories are Important to the War

"This is Jang Hui." Sokka pored over the map and looked up at Zuko as Aang splashed about in the mud. They had stopped to fish but the water was thick with sludge here, rotten with grime and pollution. "Do you think we'll be able to get food here, Zuko?"

"Do we have time?" Katara asked. Sokka had started getting antsy about their schedule; it was important not to waste too much time as they'd gotten off to a slow start, but before he could respond, Aang bent a shower of sludge over them all, causing them to cry out in disgust.

Toph made loud exclamations of disgust as Katara bent the dirty water off them. She spat out a chunk of mud, which Zuko saw and pulled a face. "Don't stand with your mouth open then." He muttered, and Toph knocked him over with a column of rock to the chest.

Sokka eyed his (filthy) plans. "We can stop for food but it means we only get two potty breaks a day from here on out."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's make sure Appa's hidden and we'll try the village." Aang cheerily got to work covering Appa in green moss and plants.

"Now you look just like a little hill with horns!" He chirped, as the others hoisted their bags onto their backs. Or, rather, Katara, Zuko and Sokka carried the bags. Aang and Toph never seemed to carry much. "Bye, buddy!" Appa grumbled as they headed towards the village.

As they drew nearer, Zuko sidled up to her and Sokka. "We may not be able to get much food here." He said quietly, and Sokka looked at him, questioningly. "Jang Hui's a fishing village, and if the river's like this…" He glanced downriver with a frown. "I think there's a factory nearby, though so we could always steal supplies from there..."

"Let's try to avoid too much theft in case it attracts attention." Katara smiled, and he nodded.

"I don't feel anything," Toph complained loudly. "Where is the village?"

"It's in the middle of the river." Sokka pointed. "That's so weird."

"There are a few villages like this in the Fire Nation." Zuko explained. "They live off the rivers and fish, so…" He trailed off, looking at the small fishing village with a small, sad expression. Katara followed his gaze- it looked tired, more tired than many villages they'd visited in the Earth Kingdom, even, and poor. There was the odd missing roof tile, the odd broken wooden board, and the whole village seemed to slope at different angles in different places.

If the Fire Nation was winning the war (and they were) how could its own citizens be living in such poverty?

The village looked quiet, but there was an older man in a boat, down by the shoreline and Aang led them towards him.

"Well, let's check it out anyway," Aang said. "Who knows what we'll find." They wandered down to the small ferry and its odd operator, Dock, who told them more about the factory and the village's struggles. Aang and Zuko were looking upstream in the direction of the factory with mirroring, concerned expressions as they docked.

"Thanks for the ride!" Aang waved cheerfully to Dock who waved back. Zuko handed over a few coins as payment and they set off to explore the village some more.

"Look at this place," Katara murmured as they walked past skinny, malnourished villagers who barely acknowledged the group as they passed. "We have to do something to help." She turned to Sokka, who frowned.

"No, we can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own." He turned to walk away but Katara grabbed him.

Sokka's attitude grated on her- the people here were suffering just as much as anyone else they'd encountered on their travels. "These people are starving! But you'd turn your back on them? How can you be so cold and heartless?" She accused, with her hands on her hips. Their arguing had taken them slightly away from the others, and Aang was guiding an unsteady-looking Toph over but Zuko was hanging back.

Sokka wasn't ready to give in, though. "I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic. We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking out the Fire Lord." His voice was climbing in pitch, clearly agitated, and Toph threw her hand across his mouth, hissing.

"Hey, loud mouths! Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about taking out the Fire Lord?" She reminded them, and Katara seethed.

"Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first." Sokka sighed and glanced back at Zuko. "We can help these people much better by stopping the war." The implication was clear- with Zuko on the throne, the war would stop and he could help the village in significant, long-lasting ways.

But the idea of leaving them to fend for themselves _now_ still rankled her. "I guess so." She was lost in her own thoughts for a while after that, not really caring too much about the clearly deranged man pretending to be multiple brothers- it was good, she thought, that he had the energy to do so. Everyone else seemed too tired and drained to do much at all.

She'd seen famine before, and how it could end for the village if something didn't change soon.

She couldn't just abandon people who needed her, she didn't feel like she had that choice in her to just… leave. Without doing anything. As they left the village, a small boy approached her hopefully, asking for food. She gave him a fish, regretting that they didn't have more to give when Zuko appeared at her shoulder and handed the boy a few coins as well.

"I hope this helps."

Katara tried to catch his eye but he seemed distracted well into the night. She was beginning to formulate a plan to help the villagers and tried not to react too much when they find a way to clean their own barrel of river water but can't find the time to do a few extra barrels for the village, and she manages not to protest too much when Sokka suggested different ways to make up time on their journey.

Late that night, after Zuko and Aang finished Firebending practice, and the others were asleep, she slipped away.

Before dawn the next morning, she approached Appa quietly. "I'm sorry, boy." she soothed, as she gave him the berries - just enough to turn his tongue purple and potentially cause a little discomfort in his belly. "I really need your help on this."

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked, quiet enough not to disturb the others, but still making her jump and turn with a guilty expression. How much had he noticed?

"Feeding Appa." She tried. "He seemed hungry."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he didn't say anything. Not even when, an hour or so later, Appa was groaning at his stomachache and she showed Aang his tongue as proof of illness, though he did keep watching her with narrow, suspicious eyes. "Maybe we can find the right herbs in town." Katara suggested, carefully avoiding Zuko's hard stare.

Aang was sick with worry, she knew, but when they reached the village it felt worth it. "Is it just me," Toph asked, "pf does this place seem different?"

"Yeah…" Aang breathed. "Are the people… happier?"

Ignoring Zuko was taking a lot of work right then, Katara wasn't totally certain he wasn't _literally_ burning holes into her back as they approached the market stall and Dock/Xu gave them a cheeky grin.

Sokka led the way. "Hey, Xu, what's going on with everyone today?" He asked.

"Ah, something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our village by a mysterious and wonderful person ... the Painted Lady." Xu answered, a little dreamily.

That took Katara by surprise, she hadn't expected him to know who had done it, and she was sure he hadn't been seen but… "The Painted who, now?"

"The Painted Lady." He said, as though it was obvious. He reached under the market stall and produced a small statuette of a woman in long, deep red robes and with red marks on her face. She was beautiful. "She's part of our town's lore. They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend. Until now."

Sokka grinned. "See, we don't need to help these people, they already have someone to help them." He waved a hand dismissively. "All we need is medicine for our sick friend." He explained to Xu, who shook his head apologetically.

"Medicine? Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory." He said, and Katara got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "That's why there are so many sick people in our village."

This just couldn't be borne, Katara's fists clenched and she risked a glance at Zuko, who was now studiously ignoring _her_ pointed look. "Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest." She said, and Sokka sighed, before agreeing and somehow deciding to buy a two-headed fish from Xu.

"It's great value for money!" He protested to Zuko as they returned to their camp on the shore.

"It's mutated."

"It's still meat!"

Katara's mind was otherwise occupied, too busy planning that night's activities. When she carefully climbed out of her sleeping roll and made her way away from the camp she wasn't really that surprised to find Zuko waiting with their supplies next to Appa in the dark. "You can't stop me helping them." She said quietly, glancing back at the sleeping forms of their friends. "I'll freeze you to a tree if I have to, but I'm going to help them. They need me."

"I'm not here to stop you," Zuko said, very quietly, and she squinted at him through the darkness and realised he was wearing all dark colours- not quite black, which she knew from experience drew the eye even in the dark, but either a dark blue or grey that blended with the shadows. It made him very difficult to see. "Are you heading to the factory?"

She paused. It hadn't been her intended destination but it made sense. The factory was the cause of the village's pain and it was a source of important metal materials for the Fire Nation war effort. "I was going to heal their sick." She confessed, opening her bag to pull out the red clothes she intended to wear. "If they think I'm a spirit then we don't need to worry about rumours of a healing Waterbender in the Fire Nation to tip off the Firelord."

She couldn't see his face, but his silence was disconcerting.

"I know doing anything to the factory will risk drawing attention, but if it looks like the work of spirits then maybe…"

"Okay. Let's heal the villagers and then head to the factory last, so we don't draw attention too soon." Zuko nodded. "I'll uh- wait for you to change." He coughed, embarrassed and Katara bit back a smile. It was so dark here he probably wouldn't see much, and it wasn't as though she'd be taking off her bindings (which she wore to practice Waterbending anyway, but then again he tended to avoid watching her then, too) but she appreciated the gesture anyway, as he turned and walked to the other side of the sleeping Sky Bison.

She used crushed red berries to make the markings on her face and emerged on the other side of Appa ready to go. Zuko was holding up a small flame to find his dao blades in his pack and produced them with a small, satisfied grin. He seemed to enjoy using the twin blades more than Firebending, from what she'd seen... like fire was more demanding somehow and the swords were just fun.

"We're not fighting anyone," Katara smirked down at him. "Hopefully." She added.

He glanced up at her with a scoff that faltered as he looked up at her from his crouched position on the floor. She waited as he looked her up and down silently in the flickering light. The light played tricks on his face, giving his eyes a strange light and making it look as though his expression kept changing.

" _Agni."_ He choked out, and she took that to mean she looked suitably like a spirit.

"I only saw the statue briefly, but hopefully I look close enough that any witnesses will think I'm the real thing." She explained and held out her arms awkwardly in a demonstration.

Zuko stood, losing the flame as he did so. "Right…" He said slowly and coughed. "We'd better go."

She created an ice raft for them to ride silently across to the village, and they climbed the village's support poles with practised ease. She bent a low fog over the village and slipped into the first hut. Dock hadn't been wrong- most huts she entered were thick with the scent of disease and death. Her bending cleared fluid from lungs, eased weakened hearts and strengthened brittle bones as she moved from hut to hut. The ample amounts of water helped her, and she didn't pay too much attention to her shadow. Zuko remained at the doorway of each home she entered, watching her heal the inhabitants and move on.

They moved quietly but quickly; Katara knew they needed to get through the whole village before they could attack the factory. Once ready, she nodded to Zuko, and they readied themselves to jump into the water.

"Thank you, Painted Lady."

She turned to see the small boy who had asked her for food the day before and smiled. She nodded her head in silent acknowledgement and Zuko gave him a low bow. The boy smiled as they sank into the water together.

As they moved upriver, Katara felt her heart hammering in jubilation. They were really going to do this. They stepped onto the shore and Zuko unsheathed his swords. Katara grinned back at Zuko and thought he looked rather like a spirit too, at that moment; his hair reflected silvery strands in the pale light of the moon, and his eyes were sharp as he looked up at the factory.

He glanced at her and paused. "What." He pulled a face, discomfort creeping across his face, shattering the illusion and making Katara grin wider.

"What spirit are you supposed to be." She teased quietly, and he bristled.

"If I had my mask it would be better." But she didn't really have the chance to ask what he meant as he darted down the side of the factory wall. They flitted through the shadows, avoiding detection from the night guards and sneaking through an open window. Zuko stood at a railing on the mezzanine and inspected the factory floor. The entire inside of the building seemed to glow red, and Katara could feel the heat of the molten metal pressing down on her.

Silently, they ran in opposite directions around the edge of the factory's central chamber. Katar used a water whip to slice vats of molten metal from their places near the ceiling, and Zuko poured another vat over the side. He gestured wordlessly and disappeared into an antechamber, emerging at full speed as the room exploded. Katara reached out for the water of the great river behind her and brought it crashing through the tiny windows at the top of the building, pouring into the liquid metal beneath them.

She and Zuko ran to meet each other and slipped out just as the main room exploded. "Wait." Katara hissed, pulling on Zuko's wrist as he tried to lead her to the exit. "Dock mentioned that the factory had the villagers' medicine." She turned in place. "We should get some for them…"

"No." Zuko hissed, taking hold of her upper arm to stop her. "It will be in the inventory, and it will be stamped as factory property. If we take medicine to the villagers then they'll be blamed."

"What can we do?" Katara asked, looking back at him.

He frowned and eyed her thoughtfully. "We need to be seen." He said finally. "Come on."

He led her back to the now-destroyed factory floor, and they climbed to the mezzanine level. Katara formed a thick fog over the destroyed side of the mezzanine, and stood on the railings, with Zuko at her feet, ready to steady her if needed, but hidden in the fog.

He used a few small flames to keep the fog well lit, and she knew it cast dramatic shadows on her face as the light from below began to fade as the metal hissed and bubbled dangerously with aftershocks from Katara's water wave.

The side of the building was blown completely open, and as soldiers and factory workers emerged from back rooms in various stages of undress, some in sleepwear (did the Fire Nation make its manufacturers live on-site? It seemed so claustrophobic) Katara raised her arms to greet them with a menacing frown.

"You have disturbed the balance of my river." She called, and sparks from the hissing, bubbling metal illuminated the faces of the employees across from her- some looked horrified, others terrified and a dark-haired soldier with a scar across his face glared at her, furiously. "My fish are dying, and my people suffer as you wreak havoc in my domain. Leave this place… and _never_ return."

Zuko extinguished his flames and Katara thickened the fog, letting Zuko tug her off the railings so that it appeared that she simply vanished backwards and obscuring their exit through the gigantic hole in the factory wall.

They dashed away, and Katara noticed with a grim smile of satisfaction that the drainage pipes which when they entered had been churning out brown sludge had run dry, but Zuko pressed on, running towards the village.

"We did it." Katara hissed, keeping pace with him easily. "Zuko- that was incredible!"

"That was General Mung," Zuko replied. "He absolutely is going to attack the village in retaliation."

"What? Why?" Katara demanded, dismayed.

"Because he's angry."

It didn't seem like a good response to Katara, but she recalled the fury in the dark-haired soldier's eyes and felt cold at the realisation that Zuko was right. Even if he believed in the Painted Lady, he was going to get his revenge on those he _could_ harm.

Dawn was breaking as they approached the campsite and she both hoped and feared that the others were already awake. Luckily, but not really, Sokka, Aang and Toph were waiting when they got there.

"We need your help, guys." Katara started, and Sokka held up a hand.

"I know you're the Painted Lady, I know you've been sneaking out at night, and I know you've been lying about Appa and been feeding him purpleising tongue berries!" Toph demonstrated and Momo grabbed a handful of berries from her at the first opportunity.

Aang smiled with a shrug. "You're like secret heroes!" He grinned, full of pride, but Sokka smacked the back of his head, clearly frustrated.

"Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy. Zuko, I really expected more from you but we're not staying here anymore- we're leaving right now!"

"We can't." Katara protested. "We have to help the villagers- the Fire Nation soldiers are going to attack them in retaliation!"

"Retaliation?" Aang asked. "For what?" Katara grimaced, but Zuko stepped in and told the others what they'd done to the factory.

This didn't put Sokka's mind at ease, at all. "Well, what was I supposed to do?" Katara demanded, and Sokka flailed, fuming.

"Leave!" He cried. "Do nothing!"

"No!" She retorted, furious in her own right. How could her brother, who had seen exactly what Fire Nation soldiers were capable of, ask her to just leave? "I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!" She turned away to leave for the village. "I'm going down to that village, and I'm going to do whatever I can- we hoped you would join us but…"

"Of course I'm coming." Sokka deflated, and Katara turned to him in surprise. He moved to stand beside her and put a soothing, brotherly hand on her shoulder. "You need me, and I will never turn my back on you."

"Sokka, you really do have a heart." She smiled, grabbing him and tugging him into a firm hug. Over his shoulder, she could see Aang wiping away tears.

"He really does have a heart, doesn't he?" He turned to Toph who simply hit him in response. Zukow as watching the siblings with a confused expression, as though he couldn't believe they had made up so quickly, but he was ready with his dao blades.

"We have to hurry," Zuko said quietly. "Mung's forces will be there soon."

They formulated a quick plan and headed to the village, where Mung and his cronies were intimidating the villagers and sending blasts of fire at their precariously balanced wooden homes.

"Where's your Painted Lady now?" He taunted. "We're going to cure the world of this wretched village." They were destroying the village piece by piece, and the fear in the eyes of the villagers broke Katara's heart.

She waited on the water, surrounded by fog as eerie flute music began to play, disconcerting the soldiers above her. Aang and Zuko were extinguishing the fireballs as soon as the soldiers started them, and the soldiers grew increasingly irate and confused, perhaps still haunted by the vision of Katara in the factory.

"It's the Painted Lady…" The boy who Katara had given fish to said in a quiet voice. "She's _coming…_ " He sang ominously.

As the soldiers got increasingly anxious, Katara took a deep breath and moved up to the docks, pulling the fog apart to reveal herself to the soldiers who reacted in mass panic. She flung one of their jet skis into the cliffside across the river, and they fled.

The only person who seemed willing to take on Katara here was Mung, and she let Aang send her upwards to avoid his fireballs as Zuko continued to steal the flames from the other soldiers.

The dock tore in two beneath Mung, sending him flying into the river and Katara wasn't sure which of her friends did it, but she advanced on Mung, letting the polluted water carry her to him.

"Leave this village, and never come back." She warned, raising her arms threateningly. "I will not warn you again."

Mung and the other soldiers retreated on their jet skis and Katara let her arms fall back to her sides and she returned to the dock. Aang, Zuko and the others joined the crowd that was gathering to celebrate.

"Me, and my brothers really owe you a lot." Dock approached with a grin, before squinting at her face. "Hey, wait a minute! I know you! You're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl!" His face changed then, and a few of the others did too. Katara felt a chill of unease creep up her exposed arms as she realised her makeup had smudged. There wasn't going to be a way to convince these people she wasn't a Waterbender now…

"You're the lady that gave me a fish." The little boy said, and Dock pointed accusingly.

"You've been tricking us. You're a waterbender!"

"She's a waterbender!" Another voice responded, and Katara heard another villager shout out "How dare you act like our Painted Lady!"

Sokka and Zuko stepped forward to stand at her shoulders, both looking angry at the villagers now. "Maybe she is a waterbender, but she was just trying to help you." He shouted, and Katara's heart blossomed with warmth at the way he defended her actions that she knew he disagreed with. "Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river, and the army is gone. You should be down on your knees thanking her!" He continued, pointing at them accusingly. Beside him, Zuko gripped the dao blades tightly, as though preparing himself for a fight.

"Guys, it's ok." Katara put a hand on each of their shoulders, stepping forward toward the angry villagers. "I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you… But I felt like I had to do something." She tried to meet as many eyes as possible, pleading for them to understand. "It doesn't matter if the Painted Lady is real or not. Because your problems are real, and this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you. You have to help yourself."

The anger seemed to deflate from the villagers, and Katara realised that even with a day's worth of food in their bellies, they were still weak, tired and suffering. "She's right, but what should we do?" Dock said.

From within the crowd, Katara saw Toph poke her head out from behind the little boy's mother. "Maybe we can clean the river!" She shouted, in a poorly disguised voice.

Dock grinned. "Yeah, we can clean the river!" The villagers managed a cheer of agreement, the possibilities beginning to reveal themselves to them. "Thank you." Dock said to Katara. "You know, you're not so bad for a waterbender."

Sokka winced. "You wouldn't mind keeping that a secret, by the way, would you?" He checked, and Dock waved a dismissive hand.

"No problem." He said confidently. "Keeping my mouth shut is a personal speciality. My brother Xu, on the other hand, ohh, he's a blabbermouth."

Sokka slapped his hand to his face in dismay, but Zuko shrugged. "Luckily Xu didn't see her." He said, reasonably, and Dock nodded in agreement.

"So, Dock… are you gonna help us clean?" Katara prodded.

"No, ma'am. I'm going to get my other brother, Bushi. He loves cleaning rivers." He said and switched hats with a cheeky grin. "All right, I'm Bushi! Let's get some river cleaning done!"

Aang emerged, triumphantly pointing a finger at Dock/Xi/Bushi with a grin. "Aha, I knew it! I knew you were the same guy. You're the shop owner and the boat guy." He counted the personalities off on his fingers but the old man just shook his head.

"Oh, you must be talking about my brothers, Dock and Xu." He smiled. Aang tried to argue with him, but Katara wondered if there was really any point. He seemed happy enough, and at least they knew _they_ weren't the mad ones.

Once the river had been cleansed, Sokka agreed that it was too late in the day to set off just yet, but was still grumbling about timing throughout dinner. Katara stood and headed out to the bluff where she could look over the river and enjoy the fresh night air. As she left the campsite she caught sight of Zuko kneeling in her chosen spot, hand resting in the clean river water.

Pausing, she watched as he looked up, but not at her. He gazed across at the village with a peaceful expression. Sometimes, it was possible for Katara to forget that they were in enemy territory, and the perils that came with it; people here faced similar problems to those she'd seen elsewhere and the villagers she'd seen here were tanned and weathered, like the people she'd met in the rural Earth Kingdom.

But they were Zuko's people, not Earth Kingdom.

"Thank you for helping me earlier." She said softly, making the decision to approach. He glanced back at her surprised, and lifted his hand from the water. He stretched his fingers oddly and clenched them into a fist before tucking his hands into his sleeves.

She sat down beside him and watched the shimmering water with a smile. It had been a good stop, she decided. They were running behind but she was confident they would make it in time as Sokka always factored in 'hijinks' to their travel time, whether he would admit it or not.

Zuko sighed softly and sat back to rest on his heels. "I should be thanking you." He said, finally. "These aren't your people, they're your enemy but you still helped them."

"I don't think they're my enemy." Katara objected, but he didn't look at her. "No, really. I did used to think that the whole Fire Nation was bad but if that was the case then those kids at the school would be my enemies, or the villagers here… even some of the soldiers, maybe, aren't all bad." She paused, thinking back to Zuko's old crew, still locked up in the ship sailed by her dad.

Zuko's mind seemed to be on the same track, and he tensed. Without thinking, Katara reached out and smoothed his fists on his lap, rubbing the knuckles as she would for Sokka, or Aang, but feeling strangely nervous as he relaxed his hands. His shoulders were still hunched and she took one of his hands, giving it a squeeze.

"They'll be ok." She tried to reassure him.

"It's a war." He sighed. "If they don't- if they don't join the alliance then they'll have to either be imprisoned and be a drain of resources or be executed." He said it with no inflection, and Katara wondered what had been said between them when he'd taken food down to the hold, alone.

She wasn't really sure what to say about them, and looked back to the river. "That whole village is going to be able to go on living, not just surviving." She said, giving his hand another squeeze. "You helped make that happen. You want to help your country, and that's the most important thing in a leader, you know, caring."

He mulled over her words in silence. Katara let it stretch between them, still holding onto his hand. She almost wanted to pull her hand away- it was a little weird just sitting here holding his hand (he wasn't even holding her hand back) but it didn't seem right to let go just yet.

They sat in silence for a while but, slowly, Katara felt Zuko's hand return the pressure of her own and she smiled. It was tentative, as though doing so would make her pull away, but she tightened her own grip.

 _I'm not letting go just yet._ She tried to tell him. _Don't worry._

 _._

 _Look, I'm not going to apologise for the levels of sweetness and innocent cuteness I'm cramming in here. Everything is going to be darker and more intense soon enough so let these sweet babies have their innocent cheerfulness for a little while longer._


	7. Non-Benders are Important Too

_I'm updating this quickly because the last chapter was... not my best. You guys deserve better than just a rewrite of the show. I'll leave it up as is, but I hope this chapter is better._

.

"Wow," Katara breathed. "This is amazing to watch." The meteor shower was incredible- bright flashes of light seared across the night sky as they watched from their positions against the mountainside in wonder.

Blue flashes fell from the stars down past the horizon, seeming to drop into the valleys and dance behind the mountains. Beside Katara, Sokka whispered his agreement. "Kind of makes you realize how insignificant we are."

"Eh, you've seen nothing once, you've seen it a thousand times." Toph said flippantly, and Zuko lifted his head to look at her.

"It's pretty, but," He said. "It's just fiery rock shooting past our planet at speed." Katara thought that was kind of reductive, but it seemed to amuse Toph, who chuckled. Perhaps she'd been feeling like she was missing out.

"Does it affect your Firebending, Sulky?" She asked, and Zuko held up a hand. The resulting flame was a large, confident orange burst and he sighed, disappointed.

"Yeah, a little."

A flame like that wouldn't have been any trouble for him not that long ago, and Katara knew it bothered him the way his Firebending had been suffering recently. The flame in Zuko's hand flared dramatically and he sat up with Sokka as one of the meteor offshoots came hurtling towards them.

Sokka gaped. "Oh man- you've _never_ not seen anything like this, Toph." Katara and Aang got up with the other boys, watching as the meteor came soaring overhead. Concerned, they exchanged significant glances and stood- if the meteor hit a town, the fire could overwhelm it easily.

"What's happening?" Toph demanded but sprang up as the meteor hit the earth, causing a bright blue fireball. "Oh!"

"A meteor came down- it might have hit a town nearby," Zuko explained, unnecessarily.

Katara nodded, packing her bags onto Appa. "We have to help. Hurry- onto Appa's back." They climbed up in haste, and Aang steered Appa towards the flames. Luckily, it had not directly hit a town, but it was startlingly close, and they wasted no time. Aang, Zuko, Sokka and Toph leapt down, and Katara took Appa's reigns. "There's a creek over there, I'll bend the eater onto the fire." She shouted, taking off.

Aang and Toph dug trenches as Katara bent some water from the small river over their heads to the fire. It was hard, bringing so much water across such a distance, but she kept her arms moving and managed to pull it over to the fire.

Below her, Aang and Toph used earth to smother the fire as Katara drowned it, splashing towards Sokka and Zuko who were stood with Momo close to the fire, Aang's Airbending causing some of it to turn to tiny flurries of snow. "Sokka, Zuko- stand clear!" Aang called, and the two boys exchanged a hard look.

"Right." Sokka picked up Momo. "Staying clear, got it."

They moved away but Aang's water/snow combination smothered them along with the fire. Katara bit back a smirk as Zuko melted the snow with a dark, furious expression and Sokka simply looked defeated. He said something off-handedly to Zuko but it was lost to the wind. The dark expression left Zuko's face though, and he managed a wry response.

"We did it!" Katara grinned, approaching the two who gave her matching, unimpressed expressions.

"We were trusted to look after Momo." Zuko deadpanned, and Sokka clutched the lemur to his chest.

"No harm came to him under our watchful eye."

Momo squirmed, chirping his protests and forcing his way out of Sokka's grasp, onto Zuko's shoulders. Aang and Toph appeared at Katara's side with matching, exhilarated grins. "What would these Fire Nation towns do without us, right?"

"Well, some of us." Sokka sulked, and Zuko glanced at him.

"Well, it doesn't make sense to fight fire with fire," He reasoned, "Or- uh, a boomerang." At that, Sokka made a noncommittal noise in his throat, and he didn't speak much for the rest of the night.

The next morning, they headed into the town and found a casual eaterie with outdoor seating. Fire Nation weather was warm and balmy, and despite being dressed, with her arms and midriff uncovered, Katara still felt warm in the day. This morning's pleasant breeze meant eating outside, under the shelter of a red awning, was just pleasant. The restaurant had a small serving window in the side of a building, and the tables were arranged on a terrace overlooking the streets of the village.

In the daylight, it was possible to see how the village was built into the sides of the hills in the area, with the streets as wide, flat, grassy stretches between houses built in steps up the hillside. Zuko had told them this was much more of a farming community than Jang Hui.

"There will be rice paddocks not far from here, where the farmers will produce rice and other grains, most likely." He pointed out, as they sat down, gesturing to a cart moving past with his chopsticks before sitting up a little straighter. "Most villages like this have quite significant yields and will sell most of what they grow to other towns and cities in the Fire Nation. The military quota will also probably come, mostly, from here."

"They have to give food to the military?" Katara asked. "To meet a quota?"

"Not give, they sell it." Zuko clarified. "There are quotas to meet, and different farms will propose prices to central command, and compete for the best price to supply food to the military for year-long contracts." Katara watched the cart turn down another road. "So they will often be getting less money than they would on the open market, but there is a guaranteed income set for the coming year."

"That's… not a terrible system." Toph nodded. Sokka just huffed from his place sat on the ledge, legs hanging over the terrace wall with his back to them.

Aang approached the table with his tray of food and slid in across from Zuko. "These people have no idea how close they were to getting toasted last night." He said quietly.

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "The worst thing about being in disguise is that we don't get the hero worship anymore. I miss the love." She sighed wistfully, resting her chin on one propped up arm.

"Boo-hoo," Sokka said, sarcastically, looking back at them over his shoulder. "Poor heroes."

Katara frowned at her brother's back. "What's your problem? You haven't even touched your smoked sea slug." His plate was still full, and that was so unlike him it was almost worrying.

"It's just, all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff like putting out forest fires, and flying around and making other stuff fly around…" Katara and Aang exchanged a concerned glance. "I can't fly around, okay? I can't do anything."

"That's not true. No one can read a map like you."

Toph nodded. "I can't read at all!"

"I didn't exactly help out much yesterday either." Zuko tried.

"And who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time?" Aang defended. "I mean, look at Katara's hair, right? What's up with that?" He waved at Katara, and Zuko sent him a horrified look.

"What? What's wrong with my hair?" She asked, horrified, touching the sides of her updo defensively. The humidity had always made it bushier, but she'd been enjoying the extra volume… Was it bad?

"Nothing!" Aang protested. "I was just trying to…"

"Look, I appreciate the effort," Sokka sighed. "But the fact is each of you is so amazing and so special and I'm ... not. I'm just the guy in the group who's regular."

Katara's stomach sank at his words, and she exchanged a worried look with the others before walking over to Sokka. "I'm sorry you're feeling so down but I hope you know, none of us sees you that way," She sat beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know something that's going to make you feel better."

"You do?" Sokka asked, clearly not believing her, and she smiled. Hopefully, the weapons shop would do the trick.

The shop did the trick. Sokka and Aang were having great fun trying on various pieces of armour and playing with the weapons. The happiness on Sokka's face was reassuring, but as the other wandered around, Zuko sought her out with a serious expression. "How old was Sokka when your father and the others left the South Pole?" He asked, and she frowned.

"Young." She said, simply. "Why?"

"When I was younger, I wasn't a very good bender," Zuko said quietly, crossing his arms defensively. "When I was _very_ young, there were suggestions that I might not be a bender at all, so I was trained in other forms of combat."

"The swords." Katara realised. "But you're a great Firebender now…"

"I'm not," Zuko interrupted, giving her an annoyed look. "I'm not trying to look for flattery, that's not the point. If Sokka had a master to teach him sword fighting then he might be able to compensate for his lack of bending…"

"He doesn't need to _compensate_ for anything!" Katara hissed, insulted on Sokka's behalf.

"That's not what I mean- I said that wrong." His shoulders tensed. "Forget it."

"Ooh!" Sokka cooed, attracting the shop owner's attention. "That's what Sokka's talking about."

He was touching the scabbard of a particularly fine-looking sword mounted on the wall. The shop owner approached with a smile. "You have a good eye. That's an original from Piandao, the greatest swordmaster and sword maker in Fire Nation history. He lives in the big castle up the road from here."

"That's it! That's what you needed all along, Sokka." Aang grinned as the shopkeeper, having apparently said his piece, walked away.

Sokka blinked. "A sword?"

"Not the sword, a master," Aang pressed. "We've all had masters to help us get better. You should see if you can study with Piandao." The way Aang said it, it made sense, and Katara felt guilty for dismissing Zuko's suggestion out of hand. He worded things badly, but he'd meant well.

And now he was nowhere to be seen. Typical.

Sokka thought it over, and with a little reassurance from the others, decided to seek out Piandao. They departed the shop in higher spirits than when they'd entered, Zuko having purchased a pair of dao blades. He didn't seem to be feeling any hosility toward Katara for her harsh reaction but did send them on ahead to the campsite, saying that he had a couple of other things to pick up.

Rather than head straight back, they explored the village further. The village was called Shu Jing, and as Zuko had suggested, it was a comfortable, stable place. There were some poorer areas and run down homes but the vast majority were modest and well-looked-after. No one in the town seemed to be suspicious of them, and the war felt far enough away from the townspeople and farmers as they hadn't lost many of their children to the war. The crops from the farms were too valuable to the Fire Nation to actively try to recruit here.

According to what Sokka and Zuko had told them before, this was the fourth large island as one travelled west across the Fire Nation from the Earth Kingdom. People were friendly, open and talkative- more curious than anything as to what brought them through, but they stuck to their stories that they were colonials travelling to explore the Fire Nation itself.

"You should have come in Spring, really," One old lady confided to Katara. "The weather is much lighter and the leaves on the trees are so fresh!" Katara promised that their return trip would happen in the Spring, and she seemed satisfied.

"Well then, what else should we do today?" Aang stretched.

Toph perked up. "How about we find out what Sulky's doing on the sly?" She asked with a grin.

"I'm sure he's just having a look around like we are," Katara said, not feeling up to invading a friend's privacy today. "Do we really want to disturb him?"

"Uh- yeah?" Toph said frankly, and Aang nodded.

"Nothing else to do."

Katara sighed. "Sokka's been in charge of the schedule. I'm not sure what we should be doing."

So Toph led them to Zuko, down a few wide, grassy streets to a colourful building with banners. Katara wasn't sure what she had been expecting; perhaps a Dojo, or some market stall, or maybe even a bar but the theatre had not been anywhere in her 'top 100 places Zuko is likely to be on his secret mission' list.

Aang tried the door. "It's closed."

"So?" Toph put a hand to the side of the building. "That's not stopped Sulky."

Katara's curiosity was winning over now, but she looked up at the building with a sigh. "Ugh, we're going to have to climb in, aren't we? It's too hot for this."

"How hot is it?" Aang asked, expectantly.

"I dunno," Toph said, nonplussed. "Real hot?" Aang gave her a dismayed, disappointed look and Katara bit back a smile; Sokka's absence was a gaping wound in their little group, they should really let him know that.

"Come on, let's see if we can find a way in around the back," Aang sighed, plucking at his Fire Nation clothes in discomfort. "Maybe it'll be cooler inside."

They wandered down the side of the theatre, trying to appear casual. Luckily, in a town like this, no one seemed to look twice at them and they clambered through a low window without anyone noticing. Aang had been right- the air was cooler inside. Thick walls kept the inside of the building cool and Toph led them through a series of passageways. The inside of the theatre was a warren of narrow halls and small rooms filled with bright clothes, masks and props. They had clearly entered into the backstage area and Katara struggled to keep her eyes away from all the pieces and materials that once put together would bring magic to the stage.

"Ooh!" Aang cooed, as taken with the rooms as she was. "Look at this!" He dipped inside a room and came out with a small, stuffed version of a Sky Bison. "It looks like Appa!" The prop in his hands was clearly ancient, with small tufts of fluff and balding sides but he grinned down at it anyway.

Katara took the chance to peek inside the room herself- it was small and dusty, with a series of shelving units and boxes piled high with miscellaneous props, labelled haphazardly in faded, browning ink. Aang had taken the toy Appa from a section labelled 'Nation props- Air' and she felt her heart thud as she looked through the other shelves and found 'Nation props- Water'.

She pulled out a box and sifted through the varied trinkets with a homesick smile. A lot of it was rubbish, of course- a comfortable, coddled island like this only had second-hand stories and illustrations to work from and the props were a cluttered mix of Northern and Southern style pieces but it was close enough to remind her of nights by Gran Gran's fire, or sewing lessons with her mother.

There were even a couple of prop betrothal necklaces, made of painted wood. She smiled at the painted markings- mostly meaningless squiggles in black paint but she could tell the artist had tried to capture the essence of the necklace. The brush marks were flaking but fine and earnest- how long ago had this been made? Was it during the war, or had it been made before- when the Nations had lived in harmony and perhaps the artist had known a Water Tribe friend or taken a Water Tribe spouse.

She wondered how common those mixed marriages had been, before the war.

"Hey, Sulky!" Toph called, and Katara looked up as she disappeared from the doorway. "We found you!"

"Be quiet!" Zuko hissed, but Toph laughed.

"There's no one here- trust me, I'd know," Katara stood and looked around the door to where Toph had caught hold of Zuko's arm, she was casual and assertive as ever, clearly making the fire prince incredibly uncomfortable. He had a small sack with him, and a guilty expression. "What have you been up to on your secret mission?"

"What secret mission?" Zuko scowled, tucking the sack behind him. Katara rolled her eyes; subtlety and guile totally escaped Zuko, sometimes… or, rather, most of the time.

"What's in the bag?" She asked, stepping into the corridor with a smirk. There wasn't really any suspicion as to what he was doing, or at least not sinister suspicion; it was the way he seemed so _embarrassed_ about being caught that made her and Toph launch themselves at him, scrambling to get their hands on the sack.

Zuko stepped back, sack behind him as Katara feinted to the right, Toph lifted the floor to force him forward but he leapt up and flitted between them, whirling to keep his back away from their grasp but sliding back and crashing inelegantly into Aang. The boys toppled over backwards but a quick blast of air from Aang kept them from hitting the floor.

The boys exchanged a look and dropped into matching Firebending stances, facing the girls. Katara sighed, dramatically. "Aang, I never expected this betrayal from you."

"Honour demands I keep my friend's secrets," Aang responded, equally dramatic. Zuko quirked an eyebrow at the way he laboured the word 'honour' but smirked at the girls.

"Come and get it." He taunted, eyes gleaming.

They didn't bend, not wanting to damage the theatre too much or attract attention, but they chased each other through the hallways and prop rooms, grabbing and kicking and _playing_ with a free joy Katara wasn't sure they'd had the time for in months.

They ended up collapsing in tired giggles on the stage, with Zuko holding his hands up above him in surrender as Toph gripped him in a headlock. "Yield," He sighed, and fell face first to the boards when she let him go, suddenly. "Ow…"

"To the victor, goes the spoils!" Toph grinned, digging into the sack and pulling out a blue demon mask, feeling it with her hands she turned to Katara. "What is it."

"Oh wow!" Aang floated over and took it from Toph's hands. "You found a new one!"

"It's not that rare," Zuko justified. "Most theatres have one."

Toph huffed. "What. Is. It."

"A Blue Spirit mask," Katara took it from Aang, turning it over and shooting Zuko a careful look. "What's this for?"

"Zuko's the Blue Spirit," Aang said, as though it should be obvious. "Did you lose your old mask?" He asked, taking the mask from Katara and handing it back to Zuko.

"I got rid of it in Ba Sing Se," Zuko answered simply, glancing to Katara. "But I thought I should get a new one, just in case."

In case Katara led him on any more crazy night time adventures to save the people of the Fire Nation. She swallowed her questions and smiled at him, widely. "Good idea."

The tiny, relieved smile he gave her lingered in her mind for some reason, and she didn't sleep at all, so heard Sokka's return to the campsite even before Toph did. They all got up to greet him and revel in having his good-humoured company back at the campsite. When he asked them to help him get the meteorite to Piandao, Zuko grimaced.

"I would, but I'm worried he'll recognise me," Zuko frowned. "Piandao was one of my masters when I was still at the Palace."

Sokka tilted his head. "But you don't have your scar now- how would he recognise you?"

"I didn't have my scar then, either," Zuko deadpanned with a frown. "I'd like to think it wasn't the _only_ thing about me that people would recognise." Thinking back to his crushed expression as he'd told Katara ' _my own crew didn't recognise me_ ', Katara shot Sokka a glare.

"If it helps," Toph interjected with a punch to Sokka's arm. "I can't see a difference at all."

Zuko's mouth twitched. "Yeah, that helps."

So Zuko helped them find and get the meteorite dug out of the ground, but didn't accompany them to Piandao's training centre.

He also didn't accompany them to Sokka's graduation. Katara, Aang and Toph knelt behind Sokka as Piandao eyed Sokka with pride. "Sokka, when you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle, and twice as big, and as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me. No, it certainly wasn't your skills… You showed something beyond that."

Sokka's head was bowed, and Katara felt her heart could burst with pride. This Fire Nation man understood her brother and valued him the way he deserved to be valued by a mentor.

"Creativity, versatility, intelligence. These are the traits that define a great swordsman. These are the traits that define you."

He knelt down and respectfully handed the sword to Sokka.

"You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."

Sokka's head lowered further and he spoke sadly. "I'm sorry, Master. You're wrong- I am not worthy," Katara clenched her hands on her knees and exchanged a worried look with Aang. "I'm not who you think I am. I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe. I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry."

Katara stared at him, her jaw slack with shock and horror. This could end it all. If Piandao even suspected they were the Water Tribe teens with the Avatar, he could hand them over. Piandao looked down at him, his expression cold. "I'm sorry too."

And he attacked, Sokka feinted to the side and unsheathed his sword, blocking a second attack from the master swordsman. Katara and the others stood to help but Sokka held out a hand to stop them.

"No, this is my fight alone."

The fight was gut-wrenchingly intense. Katara hated being on the sidelines, watching from the relative safety of the veranda as her older brother faced off against his teacher. It went against everything inside her to wait, and watch.

As the fight moved across the courtyard, she gripped the railing in fearful hope- after only a couple of days, her brother was marvellous. He parried and dodged with determined ease, and Piandao kept shouting _praise_ as they fought.

"Your brother fights well," The man, a servant or pupil of Piandao, Katara wasn't sure, smiled, and she gave him a curious look.

Beneath them, Sokka flicked dust and dirt into Piandao's face, trying to escape but the master heard him but snapping a twig, attracting Piandao's ferocious attention again. When Piandao sent Sokka crashing to the floor, Katara, Aang and Toph launched themselves towards him but halted in their tracks as he swung his sword out to point at them.

"Excellent work, Sokka," He said. The attendant threw Piandao's scabbard down and he pointed the sword towards it so the scabbard slid down the blade and sheathed itself. It was incredible to see, and a casual display of mastery. The old man looked to them with a wry smile. "I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar."

"How did you know?" Aang demanded, and Piandao reached for the cloth his attendant handed to him.

"Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up. Of course, I knew from the beginning that Sokka was Water Tribe." Sokka stared up at him in dazed wonder. "You might want to think of a better Fire Nation cover name," Piandao continued. "Try 'Lee.' There's a million 'Lees'." He took a long sip of the drink his attendant held out for him.

"But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe ?" Katara demanded.

"The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation," Piandao said patiently, "Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all." He retrieved Sokka's sword and held it out for him. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am."

Katara couldn't help the proud smile tearing across her face, and watched Sokka and his master bow to each other, low and respectful. This was what she'd wanted for Sokka, the respect of an equal and a shining example of the respect and status a non-bender could achieve even in the Fire Nation.

"Maybe Zuko could have come," Aang mused as they left. "It seems like Piandao is a nice man…"

"Training a foreigner in swordplay is different to welcoming a banished prince into your home," Katara replied, but her thoughts had been going along the same lines. It might do Zuko good to see someone from his past, someone who would recognise his face and treat him with courtesy. Piandao had known Aang was the Avatar, after all...

"Wait!" A voice called, and they turned to see Piandao's attendant hurrying towards them with a small package in his hand. "The Master wanted you to have this, as something to remember him by." He handed the brown bag to Sokka and they bowed to each other.

"We have a friend…" Aang started, and the man looked at him. "An old acquaintance of Master Piandao's. We could bring him by tomorrow to say hello?"

The man shook his head. "The Master departs tonight, but please pass on his regards to the Prince." He headed back to Piandao's home after another quick bow. Sokka opened the bag and pulled out the token inside with a puzzled frown.

"It's a Pai Sho tile."

They leaned in to look closer, and recognition tickled the back of Katara's mind. "The White Lotus. Huh," Aang blinked, and Katara frowned.

"What does it mean?" Iroh favoured the tile, but it had no message attached that she could recall. Looking up at Piandao's home as the attendant closed the great gates, revealing a similar design on the doors surrounding the emblem of the Fire Nation itself.

Sokka shook his head. "I have no idea..." He paused. "... Hang on, did he just say he knew we were travelling with Zuko?"


	8. Blowing Off Steam is Important

_There are a few things I need to follow canon-wise here, because I think they're important character development points in the series and I want to get there in the character arcs. Things will wildly deviate from Canon at and after the Day of Black Sun so bear with me. Also, the end of this chapter was always in the back of my mind because if the world doesn't think the Avatar is dead... well. The hunt is still on._

* * *

Flying high above the clouds to keep hidden was draining on Appa, the Sky Bison veered wildly to the sides when he got tired and would drift low as his concentration lapsed. Aang was getting worried, Katara knew.

"Can we just fly a little lower?" He asked, turning back to Katara. "You and I could bend clouds around him to give him a break. We're so high up."

Katara nodded, though her arms ached from maintaining thicker cloud cover, necessary to ensure complete protection even as high as they were. She shuffled forwards but Sokka shook his head at Aang. "No. If Appa can't fly further then we need to stop- a fast-moving cloud is probably the only thing _more_ suspicious than a flying bison," He eyed the map held between him and Zuko thoughtfully. "Ooh! A hot spring sounds perfect."

"Is it private?" Toph asked, doubtfully. "Twinkletoes will be all out in the open for anyone to see."

Zuko eyed the point on the map thoughtfully. "There's a Fire Nation military outpost here," He tapped the map. "But if we stay inside the crater then we should be fine," He eyed Aang with narrowed eyes. "No running off."

"Running off?" Aang protested, innocently. "I never run off," He grinned and turned back to steer Appa down. Zuko huffed but didn't argue as they descended slowly into the crater.

The land itself was dry and sparse, the relatively flat earth around the crater pockmarked with dark tree husks and the air here was so dry it burned Katara's nostrils. The Fire Nation was made up of volcanic islands but the last two had been lush, living and vibrant... few places felt as desolate as this. They sank into the shelter of the crater and the warm, clear, water sang to her. "Oh, this is lovely." She hummed as she watched it simmer beneath them. "Look how clear it is!"

"Looks great," Toph deadpanned as Appa landed. "So _clear_ , so _blue_."

Ignoring Toph, Katara jumped over the side of Appa's saddle and wasted no time stripping off her Fire Nation clothing in favour of the white underclothes, enjoying the dampness in the air and diving straight into the water.

"Hey!" Aang shouted. "Wait for me!" He soared over her head, almost flying in his underwear, and dropped into the water with a large splash. "Oh, this is _fantastic_. Like a huge, warm bathtub!"

"Do you guys strip off a lot?" Katara turned to see an incredibly uncomfortable Zuko sat on Appa's back as Toph and Sokka began removing their clothes.

Sokka wiggled his butt at the prince with a smirk. "Too hot for you?" Zuko clamped his mouth shut and crossed his arms. "I'm going to see if I can catch any fish- you're welcome to join me!" Sokka grinned and unpacked his fishing rod, swimming out to a rocky outcrop in the middle of the spring. Katara looked down at the very, very clear water beneath her and shook her head- There was nothing but rock beneath her kicking feet, and she could see right to the bottom of the clear pool.

Here in the heat, it was so easy to forget they were on their way to depose a tyrannical ruler.

She waded to the edge of the pool, squeezing excess water from her, now far too long, hair. "Hey, Zuko," She called. "Come here- bring your shaving stuff." She landed her hands on her hips and squinted up at him. "Salon Katara is open." The uncomfortable look Zuko cast around at the others made her chuckle. "No private bathrooms on the move, Zuko."

"I know that." He huffed and dropped down from Appa with a resigned grimace, but the small toiletries bag was in his hand and she held out her hands for it. "It's just-" _embarrassing._

She pulled him over to a rock and sat him down before her, the rock was tall enough that even sat down, he was slightly above her, and she filled the small bowl with shaving soap and mixed in the water. "Now, now," She teased, tipping his chin up to lather the underside of his jaw. "It's the same as always."

He made an awkward noise in his throat, not exactly agreeing with her, but she focused instead on sweeping the razor up in long, even strokes. It had become somewhat therapeutic, these shaving sessions, and she absorbed herself in scraping off the bristly, tiny dark hairs from the pale skin, tugging his chin this way, that way, look up, now down. His shoulders eased as she worked on him, and she smiled to herself at the blank peacefulness on his face.

Until Toph appeared behind Zuko with a knowing smirk. Katara felt her heart pound at the sinister expression on the young Earthbender's face and flicked soapy water at her. "All done." She told Zuko, and he frowned down at his shirt which, without its normal protective towel, was soapy and wet.

"Fine," He muttered, plucking the red fabric and hopping down from the rock, quickly tugging off his trousers and shirt, and wading into the water.

Katara narrowed her eyes at Toph. "What?"

"You and Sulky seem awfully close these days," the lightness in her voice couldn't quite hide her amusement, and Katara flushed.

"Are you asking for a shave, Toph?" She shot back, and Toph laughed from her belly.

"No, you don't need to bathe me, either. You're not my _mother._ "

Katara ignored the jibe and glanced out to the hot spring, where Sokka and Zuko were chatting easily, about 200 yards from herself and Toph. It didn't look as though either boy had overheard Toph, but she suddenly felt self-conscious, as though shaving Zuko out in the open had left her exposed.

 _It's the same as always._ She'd said, but maybe doing it in full view had been too much. Zuko seemed to have gotten over his embarrassment, at least and was scrubbing his clothes beside her brother, chuckling at something Sokka has said. "We're all close," Katara justified, and Toph shrugged.

"Sure thing, Sugar Queen. Next time I need a bath I'll just ask you."

Katara waded into the water and sank down so the water swallowed her whole, bubbling out a groan of frustration at Toph's general difficulty. At least in the water, she was safe from the tiny prodigy.

She came up for air and looked around. "Uh, where's Aang?" Sokka and Zuko, now much closer, blinked at her. "Where has Aang gone?"

Zuko climbed Sokka's rock and squinted up to the sun. "There are Fire Nation Soldiers nearby… if he's seen…" He cursed.

"Toph?" Sokka shouted across the pool. "Where's Aang?"

She frowned and stamped the ground, head bowed in concentration. "He's nearby… Just outside the crater." She frowned. "There are two Fire Nation soldiers nearby too- but I can't _see_ that far… I don't know whether they saw him…"

"Of _course_ they saw him." Zuko seethed, swimming to the water's edge and looking up to the edge of the crater, a jagged edge cutting a hole in the sky. "We're going to have to move on." When Aang appeared over the edge of the crater, laughing and chasing Momo with clear Airbender moves, Katara stared up at him in dismay; if the soldiers had seen him _at all_ , the tattoos were not the only things giving him away.

As he reached the bottom of the slope, Aang grinned at Zuko. "Hey, there's a great tunnel that you can slide right the way down just over- ack!" Zuko launched the younger boy over his shoulder and carried him around the edge of the pool like a sack of cabbages. And practically tossed him onto Appa's saddle.

"We're going."

"What's wrong?" Aang cried as the others gathered their things and piled onto Appa with him. Sokka handed Zuko his sodden clothes with a sigh.

"I didn't catch a single fish… also, you were 100%, definitely spotted by Fire Nation soldiers." Aang flushed and glanced at Zuko guiltily. "So much for a relaxing break."

.

They progressed as quickly as they could, trying to put distance between Aang and the Hot Spring in an attempt to lessen the risk of being found. Zuko was tense and would barely look away from staring straight ahead, quietly urging Appa to _keep going, don't stop, keep going._

The incident at the hot spring had spooked him, and Sokka sat beside him with a map as the sunset that night, speaking only occasionally to prompt correction of their course. After much apologising, Aang had fallen asleep at the back of the saddle, and Toph had followed not long after, bored with the lack of conversation.

Katara laid to one side. She watched the stiff, unyielding backs of the boys at the front of the saddle, waiting for the gentle movement of Appa to lull her to sleep. She closed her eyes when Sokka glanced over his shoulder and cleared his throat. "Hey, buddy… you might want to ease up a bit on Appa- we'll cover more distance if we take it at a steadier pace."

"We need to put as much distance as possible between us and Azula." Zuko murmured back. "As soon as they know where we were, they'll be able to predict where we're going. My- uh, defection will means she'll be worse than before." He paused for a long moment. "If she attacks I won't be able to fight her."

Sokka was quiet, Katara peeked up and could see he was looking at Zuko. "Hey, that's ok…" He laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder and talked low, gently, as though he was afraid to scare Zuko off. "She's your sister, I understand."

But Zuko was shaking his head. "That's not it… that's _definitely_ not it, trust me." He laughed, but it was bitter. "Azula's a prodigy and I could never keep up, even before... but the fact is that my bending is getting weaker. If we face each other before the eclipse I'm not going to match her. I won't even come close."

"You can still fight," Sokka protested. "I've seen you with those swords…"

"I'm not going to run away if that's what you think," Zuko said, and his voice sounded strange, thick. "If Azula attacks, I can keep her back with my swords but I- if it-... you need to make sure the others get out."

"No, man," Sokka said easily, quickly. "I understand where you're coming from, but we'd never leave you behind." His hand was still on Zuko's shoulder, and Zuko looked back at him. The moon shone but Zuko's back was to Katara and so she couldn't see what it was that made her brother's face look like _that_.

"I would rather be left behind than let Aang fall into Azula's hands," Zuko said, more forcefully. "You guys can keep him safe."

Sokka looked like an adult, with a weight on his shoulders and grief in his eyes.

"We'll take her down if she comes for us." He promised. "Together."

Katara's heart felt like a tiny bird against her ribcage, and she clasped her hands to her breast to keep it in, turning her face and burying it in the rolled blanket beneath her head.

"I appreciate that," Zuko breathed. "But if it comes down to it..."

"Ok," Sokka said, eventually. Zuko let out a relieved sigh. "We'll stop for supplies here." The sound of a finger tapping against the map. "And then we'll detour around this island to throw her off."

"We can't be long- that's Fire Fountain City, one of the major ports when you're sailing to the Capital, and probably the first place she'll look." Whatever had made his voice so strangled before was gone- he was back to business and his voice was cold, impersonal. "Also, if there's a fight there, we'll struggle to keep it contained. Azula doesn't hold back and she won't care about innocent bystanders."

"Right," Sokka confirmed. "Do you want to have a rest? You look bushed."

"No, you sleep," Zuko responded. "I'll be fine." There was the sound of Sokka shuffling across the saddle, and Katara risked a look. Zuko's back was rigid against the sky, and Sokka was looking right at her with an expression of deep concern. She tucked her head back down, hiding from the solemn frown that didn't belong on her brother's face.

.

Zuko was reluctant to leave Appa when they touched down, just as dawn broke, so Katara sent Aang, Sokka and Toph along to Fire Fountain City under strict instructions to keep their heads down and out of sight. She busied herself around the campsite and pretended not to notice that Zuko's lookout position saw his chin dipping to his own chest as he fought sleep.

 _He'll tire himself out and get some rest eventually_. She thought, but as the sun climbed he grew restless, and wouldn't settle. "Hey," She called up, and he looked down at her over the edge. "Do you want to spar?"

His eyebrows twitched up, caught off guard. He looked absolutely terrible, Katara thought, with deep shadows under his eyes and a scowl twisting his mouth. Firebenders clearly didn't do well on little sleep, but if he couldn't sleep she would tire him out.

"No." He said shortly and disappeared back into Appa's saddle.

Katara rolled her eyes and hoisted herself up to look over the top. "You need to sleep."

"No, I don't."

Katara literally couldn't roll her eyes any harder, and she slipped into the saddle with him. "I know you're worried, but we can't do anything until the others get back with the supplies."

"We can keep watch."

"Yeah, you're doing great at that." Katara teased gently, but Zuko tensed and turned his head away. She blew a strand of hair from her face and sighed. "Look, I'll take watch. Ok?" She put a hand on his shoulder and kneaded it slightly in reassurance. "I won't let anyone sneak up on us… I'm a Master Waterbender." She smiled in an attempt to cheer him up, but he shot her a dull look and flopped down on his side.

 _Boys_ , she thought to herself, irritated. _So dramatic_.

She sat down and propped her arm on a lifted knee, turning to look at the scenery around them, to keep watch. "Sorry. I know you're having trouble with your fire."

"Ugh." He groaned, and she rested her chin in her hand. "Please don't talk to me about that."

"Why not? Don't you have any idea why it's happening?" She prodded. "It's always better to share your burdens with friends."

"Please stop." He groaned, looking up at her with a grimace. "I know exactly why and that's the problem." She paused, eyes flicking over his face, and he let his head drop back to the saddle again, lying limply on the hard surface. "Aang thinks it's because I changed sides. I'm not angry enough anymore."

"Oh." Katara managed. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Clearly, it's not great." Zuko sighed.

They remained in silence, Katara pondering his confession as she looked out for any disturbance across the river. Birds sang somewhere, but the landscape was open and grassy with no trees in sight- they were exposed, but at least they were near all their elements if it came down to a fight.

"Iroh's not angry." Katara turned to look at Zuko, whose closed eyes scrunched in irritation.

"I thought you wanted me to sleep."

"How come you meditate to control your fire if it requires _anger_ to be strong? That doesn't make sense."

"Please leave me alone."

"Don't be interesting, then." She waved a hand dismissively. "What was it Iroh said about fire? 'Fire is life'? That doesn't sound angry." She looked to him for an answer, but he was scowling with his eyes firmly closed. "How can Iroh be a powerful bender if he doesn't feel angry all the time?"

"Of course Uncle's angry." Zuko sighed. "His wife and son are dead, and his brother deposed him while he was away at war- he must be furious. HE just has good control, like Azula."

Katara thought back to what she knew of the kindly older man. He had never seemed angry to her, maybe sometimes sad, or perhaps thoughtful, but he exuded a sense of peace and spirituality that couldn't possibly be born of anger. She hadn't known he'd had a son… or even a wife, but of course a man like Iroh was a father. He was exactly what a father should be.

"I think you're wrong," Katara whispered, but Zuko's breathing was low and even, and she pushed dark hair from his forehead thoughtlessly, on instinct, before turning back to keep watch as promised.

When the others appeared, laden with baskets and bags as she prepared dinner later that day, she gawked. "Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff?" She asked, eyeing it in stunned disbelief. Zuko had only given them _just_ enough from the purse to get less than half of these things.

"Toph got us money," Aang grinned, sitting down with an apple in hand. "She scammed one of those guys in town who moves the shells around all sneaky-like."

"She used earthbending to win the game!" Sokka enthused. "Classic!"

Katara narrowed her eyes at Toph's satisfied smirk. "Ah, so she cheated."

"Hey! I only cheated because he was cheating!" She cried, defensive. "I cheated a cheater. What's wrong with that?"

"You'll attract attention," Zuko muttered darkly from his place on Appa's back.

"This really isn't something we should make a habit of doing." Katara agreed.

Toph scowled, tightening her grip on her apple. "Why? Because it's fun? And you guys hate fun?"

"I don't hate fun!" Katara bristled, but Zuko just shrugged grumpily.

"Guys," Aang swept into a deep bow, lifting his headband to her in solemn respect. "I'll personally make you an Avatar Promise that we won't make a habit of doing these scams."

Somewhere behind her, Zuko made a scoffing noise of disbelief, but Katara smiled. "Thanks, Aang."

Of course, as it turned out, Avatar Promises meant diddly squat. The others returned from the market at lunchtime with even more money.

"Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen." Katara warned.

Zuko was still reluctant to leave Appa, as though moving away from the sky bison meant they were staying rather than going _any minute now_. "I don't understand- you know Azula will be looking for us here- it's an obvious stop on the journey!"

Toph groaned, loudly. "Could you for once stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Katara fumed. "You think I should be more like you? Like some wild child?"

"Yeah! Maybe! Maybe then you'd see how great we have it! I mean, look at us! " She leaned against a rock with a satisfied smirk. "We're travelling around the world! Making easy money! Having fun! With no parents to tell us what to do!"

Katara narrowed her eyes at Toph, everything falling into place. "Ah. I see. You're acting like this because of your parents."

"Whatever."

"They were controlling over you, so you ran away, and now you act like your parents don't exist. You act as though you hate them, but you don't. You just feel guilty." Katara prodded, but Toph gritted her teeth.

"I do hate them."

"I don't think so. I think you miss them, but you just don't wanna deal with that, so instead, you act like this crazy person." The boys were staying back, but Toph stood up, outraged.

"Look, I ran away to help Aang!" She cried.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. These scams put us all at risk, and we don't need that." She gestured at Zuko. "We already have _his sister_ after us so please just... sort out your own family trauma- the rest of us are." Zuko scowled at her, but she didn't pay him any heed.

"I'll stop when I wanna stop and not when you tell me!" Toph collected a bag of money and shut herself in one of her earth tents, leaving Katara to seethe at the boys. Sokka collected a bag of his own and stood awkwardly.

Katara turned to Aang, and he shuffled his feet bashfully. "I'm sorry Katara."

"You promised me there would be no more scams." Katara bit out. "How could you do that, especially after you were spotted?" Aang couldn't seem to answer her, and she groaned in frustration. She loved Aang, she really did, but sometimes he just couldn't seem to foresee the consequences of his actions. He was too like his core element of air, and he was too easily swept up in the excitement of a new adventure to fully be able to understand what he was doing. For Aang, it was all about intent, and he didn't _intend_ to endanger them.

"Aang," Zuko came to Aang's side and looked down at him, uncertainly. "Come on." He gestured for Aang to follow and took him down to the riverside, dropping into a bending formation, Aang followed his movements out of habit, and Zuko took him through a sequence of forms, not looking back to Katara as she crossed her arms in irritation.

Who did he think he was? She clenched her jaw in irritation, throwing herself into tidying up the campsite because _as usual,_ no one else had thought to help her. She glared up at where Zuko was coaxing Aang through producing small, hesitant flames and felt some of the anger loosen its grip on her.

Slightly.

So she ignored Sokka's bird when he returned from following Toph into town, but when they returned with more money in hand she could feel her skin prickle with anger.

"Off scamming again?" She accused. "And I suppose you don't think what you're doing is dangerous at all?" Katara sidled up beside Toph, who agreed with her. Katara goaded a little further. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"What's this?" Katara flung the wanted poster she'd uncovered under Toph's nose triumphantly.

It didn't quite have the desired effect. "I don't know! I mean, seriously! What is with you people? I'm blind!"

Choking back embarrassment, Katara leaned in. "It's a wanted poster of you! "The Runaway!" Is that what you're called now? Are you proud of this?"

The eyes of the others warned her to stop, but she was only looking at Toph. "Where did you get that!?" Toph fumed.

"It doesn't matter where I got it. The fact is-"

"You went through my stuff! You had no right!" Toph shrieked.

If Toph's things had been tidied away, Katara wouldn't have seen it, but _everyone_ was messy and she knew what was in _everyone's_ bags, How was Toph special? The fact that she'd actively snooped _this_ time didn't mean she was in the wrong here. "Your stuff was messy and I was just straightening up, and I happened to stumble across it!" If by 'stumble across it' she meant 'put away a bedroll and used it as an excuse to look through her things' then sure.

"That's a lie!" Toph pointed at her, apoplectic and shaking. "You're _lying_ , Katara!"

Katara blinked in shock and glared back at Toph. In the corner of her eye, she could see the way the boys were watching them and she _knew_ this was a pathetic way to air her grievances but she couldn't help it. She shoved Toph's hand away. "Fine! It's a lie!" She admitted. "But you've been so out of control lately, I knew something was up! I knew you were hiding something and you were! Don't you walk away from me while I'm talking to you!" Toph grabbed the poster from her hand and turned to leave.

"Oh really, Mom? Or what are you gonna do? Send me to my room?"

"I wish I could!"

"Well, you can't! Because you're not my mom, and you're not their mom!" She said, pointing to the three boys.

"I never said I was!" Katara said, distinctly uncomfortable with the way this conversation had gone.

"No, but you certainly act like it! You think it's your job to boss everyone around, but it's not! You're just a regular kid like the rest of us! So stop acting like you can tell me what to do! I can do whatever I want!"

"I don't act that way!" She rounded on the boys. "Do I act motherly?"

"No," Zuko said, looking puzzled, but the other two exchanged guilty looks.

"Sokka? Aang?"

"I'm staying out of this one," Sokka muttered, hands up defensively.

Toph sighed in exasperation. "I can't be around you right now!"

"Well, I can't be around you!" Katara retaliated, and they both turned and stormed off, in different directions.

It seemed that neither Toph and Katara were willing to break the silence. Katara didn't see why she should apologise; Toph had chosen to come with them and didn't give the risks due care and attention. She seemed to be more interested in having a good time than actually saving the world from Zuko's murderous family.

Katara was bathing in the river when she overheard Toph talking to Sokka, and she tucked away to listen in. _This isn't snooping_ , she told herself. _I was here first._

She listened with growing irritation as Toph and Sokka complained about her- about her smothering them. Couldn't they understand what she was doing? She was trying to keep them _alive_.

But the tone changed when Sokka started talking about their mother.

"I'm gonna tell you something crazy. I never told anyone this before, but honestly? I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture."

Hot tears coursed down Katara's cheeks, and she held a hand to her mouth to stifle any noise. She didn't know- how could she know? Her big brother had lost their mother's face but when Katara tried to picture it, she could only see that last moment. The Last day. Wide-eyed and terrified.

"The truth is sometimes Katara does act motherly, but that's not always a bad thing. She's compassionate and kind, and she actually cares about me." Katara tried to wipe her tears and sank into the water. "That's more than my own mom. Don't ever tell her I said any of this!"

"Hey, my lips are sealed."

Katara heard them leave, but she sat in place for a long time afterwards, thinking through the different ways to make peace. She was still contemplating this when she spotted Zuko at the entrance to the cave, scrubbing at a particular spot on his shirt in the water. She stayed low in the water and slunk out to meet him. "Hi."

He jerked in surprise and huffed his annoyance when he realised who it was. "Katara. How are you doing?" He asked, warily, as though he didn't really want to get too heavily involved in whatever drama was happening between the girls.

"Good." She muttered. "Hey, Zuko. Do you remember your mother's face?"

Zuko went very, very still. "What?"

"I thought I could remember my mother clearly, but something Sokka said made me realise I don't." She sat beside him on the shore and tucked her knees up under her chin. Zuko looked supremely uncomfortable but didn't move or try to stop her talking, which she appreciated. "Do you remember yours?"

He took in a deep, steadying breath through his nose and slumped. "I think so." He said slowly. "I can remember her face…" He paused for a long moment before saying, "But not her voice."

Katara thought about it. "What happened to your mother? I would have thought the Fire Lady would be safe from the Fire Nation soldiers."

He scowled. "Why do you-" his face twisted in pain and she watched him patiently. "Sorry. It's hard to talk about."

Waiting in silence seemed like the best option at that moment, and Katara waited.

The sun was low in the sky now, casting long, golden shadows over the river, and in it, both Zuko's eyes seemed to deepen to darker, richer gold and slowly, haltingly, he told her about his mother. In the caves of Ba Sing Se, she had thought he'd meant his mother had been killed but as he told her what he remembered, she realised that no one was safe from the Fire Lord, and his family were perhaps the most vulnerable of all.

So she told him about her mother too. Not about the Last Day, but about how she used to tell stories around the campfire, about how she used to sing songs in the long nights, and how Katara could remember the sound of her voice whilst singing, but not speaking. Zuko told her about turtleducks, visits to the theatre, and holidays spent on an island where he would play in the sand with Azula.

Zuko seemed to find the stories healing, in a way, but Katara felt old wounds ache beneath her skin.

They headed back to the campsite and Katara made up her mind to approach Toph. They needed to bury the hatchet and Katara had an idea. "Hi, Toph. Um- I wanna-"

"Katara, stop. You don't need to apologize. I was the one being stupid. These scams are out of control, and I'm done with them."

Katara smiled. "Actually I wasn't going to apologize. I wanna pull a scam with you." The boys stared at her, and she grinned wider at their stunned reactions.

"What?"

She slung an arm around Toph's shoulder and Toph's stunned mouth slipped into a sly smirk as Katara explained her plan to hand in Toph for the reward, and Toph eagerly agreed.

"Don't we _really_ need to be leaving soon? Azula could be here any moment." Zuko complained. "Sokka?" He turned to Sokka who stared back at Zuko helplessly.

"Have you _tried_ to control what my sister does?" He demanded. "We leave as soon as this stupid idea is over." He pleaded with Katara.

"After this," Katara grinned at Toph. "We won't need to hang around."

After handing Toph into the authorities, Katara was feeling pretty smug when the local administrator led her to the town hall to collect her reward, but when they entered his office, Azula was sat on the desk waiting.

"Hello, peasant." She purred.

It was an ice-cold shock to the system, seeing her here. Katara dropped into a bending stance out of habit, but there was no water in the office. Azula smirked and, from behind her, Katara felt sharp jabs in her back, sending her toppling to the floor, limp and unable to fight back.

The circus-freak appeared in Katara's field of vision. "So, you're the girl who healed Zuko's scar?" She asked. "Thank you! I'm sure he really appreciates it." She said it sincerely, but it still felt like a slap to the face.

Not really, Katara thought to herself, and Mai scoffed. "He _left us_ to help the Avatar, Ty Lee," Azula snapped. "Besides, you'll be able to see him for yourself soon enough. Take her down to the cell with the little Earthbender." Ty Lee lifted Katara with ease and carried her downstairs with Creepy-Girl at her shoulder.

"So, how is Zuko doing?" Ty Lee asked cheerily. "Mai's been wondering what he looks like without his scar- it's kind of hard to imagine isn't it, Mai?"

Katara couldn't see much from her position over Ty Lee's shoulder, but she heard Mai sigh. "Shut up."

"Jeez, alright. I just thought you'd be keen to see him."

"He's even more of a traitor than before."

"Sure, but who doesn't love a good enemy-to-lovers story?"

 _What the hell is happening here?_ Katara wondered as Azula's terrifying cronies were talking about _boys_ and _romance_ like normal girls.

"I don't think Azula would let that happen."

"If he comes back to us, she might." Ty Lee shrugged and her shoulder stabbed Katara's middle with the gesture.

She was tossed carelessly into a wooden cell and closed her eyes in defeat. Her plan had failed disastrously.

Once the girls had left, Toph turned to her. "Were those Azula's friends?"

"Yeah, but I learned something," Katara sighed, trying to move her hands. "I think the knife girl, Mai, has a crush on _Zuko_."

"Oh, sure." Toph grimaced. "That's the most important thing we should be focusing on here." She paused. "We're the bait for Aang."

Katara groaned as her fingers finally twitched. "I can't believe I'm so stupid!" What had she been trying to prove anyway? That she was fun? What use is fun if you're dead?

She managed to move her arms, but they felt like they were weighed down under a thousand rocks. At least Ty Lee's pokes weren't permanent, and it felt like the effect was wearing off a little quicker than last time.

Katara managed to move up onto her side. "I know your relationship with your parents is complicated. And I shouldn't have said what I said." The look on Toph's face was worryingly vulnerable and Katara felt sick that she'd put them in this situation.

"It's okay. I was really mad when you said that because ... well because maybe it's true." She bit her lip and tears swam in her blank eyes. "I try not to think about it, but when I left, I probably really hurt them."

Katara managed to drag her arms up and pulled Toph close. It was so easy to forget how young Toph was and despite her strength, she still needed reassurance and care… just like the rest of them.

It was a little later, once Katara had regained full use of her body, that a huge shockwave shook the ceiling of their prison cell. "What are we gonna do?" Katara asked, her mind racing with visions of the boys facing off against Azula's lightning and she wasn't _there_.

"I don't know," Toph replied, struggling against the bars. "I wish we had some earth or water. We need bendables."

"What about your meteor bracelet? You can make a saw."

"I left it back at camp," Toph sank to the floor in bitter despair. "I was worried they would take it."

Katara exhaled heavily as the weight of the situation fell on her. They were trapped, awaiting rescue, the boys were on their own against the three scariest people Katara had ever met and she had no idea how they were doing. Katara had never pictured herself as some princess in need of saving, but they were truly alone down here, and she had no way of saving herself.

And it was so _hot_ in here. Katara scraped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and grimaced. It was so hard to think but- Oh.

 _Oh._

She had water in here. Not much, but she had it. She stood up and began to jog in place. Katara noticed Toph frown worriedly. "Um, Katara? Are you okay?"

"Just fine." She huffed.

"Well, what are you doing?"

"I'm making my own water." She pulled the water from her body and used it to cut at the wooden post. It made a tiny, noticeable slice in the bar and she grinned in satisfaction.

"Katara! You're a genius!" Toph cried. "A sweaty, stinky genius!"

Katara grinned in determination and bent another blade of water at the bars. It was slow going, but she managed to keep focus and soon enough they were able to kick through the bast of the wooden bars.

"You did it!" Toph cheered, and they ran from the building, getting through the few guards they encountered with ease. They emerged into the town square, where the boys were fighting hard against Azula, Ty Lee and Mai around the giant, golden statue of the Fire Lord in the town square.

"Why aren't you fighting me _properly_ Zu-Zu?" Azula taunted across the courtyard. It didn't look as though she'd brought much more backup than the three of them, but as Azula sent a huge blast of blue fire at the boys, sending Aang crashing into the statue of the Firelord.

Katara pulled water from a watering trough in the square and managed to trap all three girls' feet to the floor.

"What?" Azula shipped around to see Katara and Toph behind her and growled. "You little _peasant_."

"You were overconfident, Azula," Katara smirked. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to guard your blind spot?"

Toph brought the earth up around all three of them, crushing them together so that they couldn't move and leaving only their heads clear. "Let's get out of here, guys!" Katara helped Aang up from the ground and he whistled for Appa.

They all clustered together, Katara casting a quick eye over them all for wounds as Appa came down from the sky; Aang was a little stunned from crashing into the statue but most of them only seemed to have superficial wounds.

A flash of green at the edge of Katara's vision gave her a renewed sense of urgency, and she grabbed Zuko's sleeve. "The Dai Li are here." She hissed and he nodded.

"Sokka, we have to hurry." He called, and together they pushed Aang up onto Appa's waiting back. Aang took his position at the front of the saddle, blinking to recover his focus.

Sokka and Zuko helped hurry Toph and Katara up onto Appa's back as the Dai Li sent the first quivers through the earth at their feet.

In an attempt to avoid the churning ground, Appa hovered a few feet from the floor so Zuko gave Sokka a quick leg up, threw his swords into Appa's saddle and was reaching up to Sokka's offered arm when Azula shrieked his name, full of potent fury.

" _Zuko!_ "

He turned to look back... just as the Dai Li fixed his feet to the floor. The earth beneath Zuko shifted and pulled him out of Sokka's reach. Katara flung herself to the side of the saddle, reaching out for water to defend him but Appa launched up suddenly, avoiding the chains being thrown up by the agents.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, but thrown by the sudden movement, Katara could only cling to the side of the saddle and watch Zuko's pale, horrified face get smaller and smaller.


	9. Those Who Are Important To You

"I can't believe we left him," Katara whispered, gripping the saddle tightly. "There had to have been something we could do!" She turned wildly to the others, tears hot in her eyes. Aang had his head in his hands and Toph looked furious.

Sokka looked sick beside her, shaking his head. "We were barely holding our own before you got there. With the hit to the head that Aang got… it's too risky."

"But you didn't leave _us_ behind," Toph urged. "You all came into Fountain City to get us-"

Sokka ran a hand through his hair in anxious misery. "We didn't know we were fighting _Azula_ ," He grimaced, "And Zuko wanted it this way anyway. He made me promise…"

"And you said we'd never leave him behind!" Katara's voice cracked and Sokka pulled her into a tight hug.

"We'll get him back." He swore. "We have only a couple of days until the eclipse and that will be the best chance we have to rescue him." Sokka's face was grim. "We're not leaving him behind, but getting Aang away has to be the priority right now."

Aang's shoulders hunched. "Is this how it has to be?" He demanded. "I have to give up on everyone I love to be the Avatar?" Katara reached for him, thinking back to what he'd said about his lessons with Guru Pathik, but he stood and snapped his glider open. "I'm going. I'll see you at the next stop I just… I need some time to think."

"Aang…" Sokka grimaced. "I'm not sure we should stick to the same route. If Zuko is… if Azula gets our route out of him then she'll know where we're going."

The implications of his words weren't lost on the others. Visions of Azula torturing Zuko threatened the edges of Katara's sanity, and she forced herself to focus. "But if Zuko escapes he won't be able to find us." She reasoned. "He won't reveal it, I'm sure, but we should stick to the plan he knows so that if he manages to escape he can find us again."

"We're staying on course." Aang nodded and leapt from the saddle.

Katara tried not to look at Zuko's bag... or his swords. She focused on pulling herself together and gave Sokka a weak smile. "So where are we going?"

"This island here." Sokka pointed out. "It's in slightly the wrong direction and we avoid travelling too much over land. We'll have one last rest here then fly through to the rendezvous point. As planned."

"As planned." Katara nodded.

"As planned," Toph said, finally. Katara reached across to her and took her hand, giving it a small squeeze.

"Zuko will be fine," Sokka tried to sound confident but there was an edge to his voice. "He survived like thirteen years with them before now. He's the most experienced Fire Nation survivor I know."

He sounded very much like he was trying to persuade himself of that.

.

They landed in a field of Fire Lilies, near a mountain range and a small town, setting up camp in the relative safety of the woods. They prepared dinner in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Aang appeared well into the evening, looking withdrawn and miserable. Katara knew she should say something, or do something to lighten the mood but she couldn't find the energy to do so, and so she sat with her head resting heavily on one hand and watched the fire.

"Guys- do you hear that?" Toph asked, suddenly grabbing Katara's shoulder.

Katara looked up, hopeful. "Zuko?"

Toph shook her head. "I hear people under the mountain… and they're screaming." Katara strained her ears but couldn't hear anything beyond the normal, slightly ominous sounds of the woods and its inhabitants. "It just… stopped."

"You probably just have a lot on your mind..." Sokka tried.

"Hello, children."

They all whirled around to stare at the old woman emerging from the shadows. Her approach had been _so silent_ , it could have been anyone. It could have been Azula.

"Sorry to frighten you," She smiled. "My name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?"

Aang stood and gave Hama a formal bow. "Thank you, that would be appreciated."

Katara shot him a searching look, but he had a mask of polite gratefulness in place, and they followed Hama back to her inn where she prepared them some tea. "Thank you for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn." Hama reminded her of Gran-Gran, somehow, and it was hard to resist the warm comforting effect of being looked after.

"Aren't you sweet?" Hama smiled and sat down. "You know you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

 _We've already had someone disappear on us._ Katara wanted to throw her arms around the older woman and cry, and the feeling was embarrassingly raw.

"What do you mean "disappearing"?" Sokka asked.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come out. Who wants more tea?" Hama asked, but no one responded. They were too deeply lost in thought. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here," Hama reassured them and showed them to their rooms.

Katara and Toph opted for a shared room and lay in silence as the growing dark made fingers and hands of the tree branches outside. They tapped and scraped at the window, begging to be let in. Katara felt Toph reach over for her hand and grabbed it, squeezing back.

"I keep thinking… If I hadn't been doing those scams in town, maybe we wouldn't have been found," Toph admitted quietly. "It's my fault he got caught and I was so selfish-" She buried her face in her pillow and Katara stared into the darkness.

"We'll try to stay a little longer than planned," Katara reassured her. "Just in case he's trying to find us," The fingers scratched at the window more insistently. "If anyone can survive Azula it's Zuko."

But Katara thought back to that late night conversation she'd overheard between Zuko and Sokka, and how sure Zuko had been that he wouldn't stand a chance.

"You're lying," Toph muttered into her pillow, miserably. Katara just tightened her hold on Toph's hand.

They lay in the dark, not sleeping but silent, until sometime in the very early hours of the morning, Hama opened their door. Katara blinked at the light and turned to look at Toph, who was stirring at the noise. "Come on, girl," Hama said in a low, soothing voice. "I could use a hand at the market."

Katara sat up, realising with a flush of embarrassment that she hadn't properly dressed for bed, but Hama smiled warmly and Katara found herself following the older woman to wake up the others, too.

Hama seemed to have picked up on the dynamic of the group and was happy to chat away even without much input from Katara and the others. She even had Katara smiling at odd moments as she joked about the quality of different meats and fruits. As they left a meat stall Katara nudged her. "That Mr Yao seems to have a thing for you. Maybe we should go back and see if he'll give us some free komodo sausages?" She smiled, attempting to show Hama that her good spirits hadn't been wasted on a bunch of depressed teenagers, and Hama met her eyes seriously.

"You would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man?" She asked, and Katara faltered, but Hama beamed up at her. "I think you and I are going to get along swimmingly!" Katara didn't feel quite ready to be laughing and joking like this, but she allowed Hama to lead her further into the market.

The others kept a fair distance from Hama, not particularly feeling the need to engage that Katara did but Katara didn't mind. The old woman was a balm on her soul and although Katara couldn't forget, she found it a little easier to breathe around Hama, who didn't push, prod or remind her of what she'd lost.

Every now and then, though, Katara would turn as a tall boy in red clothes with dark hair would catch her eye. It was never Zuko though, and she moved closer to Hama for more of that inexplicable calm.

"Why don't you take all those things back to the inn? I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while." Hama patted Katara's shoulder when they met up with the others again.

Sokka glanced at her thoughtfully. "This is a mysterious little town you have here." He remarked and Hama smiled at him.

"Mysterious town for mysterious children." She said, sauntering away. Sokka narrowed his eyes at her retreating back and had an odd look on his face for the rest of their walk back to the inn.

Once inside and unpacking, he voiced his concerns. "That Hama seems a little strange. Like she knows something, or she's hiding something."

"I'm as nervous as you to be staying with a Fire Nation lady but… I don't know... she kinda reminds me of Gran-Gran." Katara pointed out.

"But what did she mean by 'mysterious children'?"

"Maybe because she found four strange kids camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?" Katara snapped, and Sokka wandered off up the stairs.

"I'm gonna take a look around."

"Sokka- we're meant to be laying low." Katara hissed after him.

"I can't just _do nothing_." Sokka hissed right back. "Am I meant to just sit around thinking about all the things I should have done differently? I need to keep moving."

"But you can't just take it out on some nice old lady." Katara followed him up the stairs.

"She could be home any minute." Aang agreed from behind her.

Sokka tugged on a cupboard door, hard. "You're going to break something," Toph muttered as the door flung open to reveal a cupboard full of human bodies falling towards them. Sokka drew his sword but- wait, they weren't bodies. The cupboard was full of puppets.

"Okay, that's pretty creepy," Aang muttered, and Katara shook her head.

"So she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that," Katara tried to shake the prickling feeling at the back of her neck and channelled her frustration at her brother. "Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back soon." But he was already climbing into the attic.

"Just an ordinary puppet-loving innkeeper, huh?" Sokka called back. "Then why does she have a locked door up here?"

"Probably to keep people like you from snooping through her stuff!" Katara seethed. Hama had been nothing but _kind_ and if they wanted to stay here for any longer then they needed to respect her privacy.

"We'll see." Sokka peered through the keyhole. "It's empty… except for a little chest."

"Maybe it's treasure," Toph couldn't help herself. Sokka's adventure was clearly a welcome distraction. Sokka began to pick the lock and Katara grabbed his arm.

"Sokka!" She hissed. "What are you doing? You're breaking into a private room!"

He was like a man obsessed, he wouldn't listen to any reason and the others were just… going along with it. Katara fought the nausea as he got the door open and it swung into a small room, dusty with disuse and fine cobwebs connected the eaves. Katara had a growing knot of unease in her chest and she turned to Aang, who was looking nearly as uncomfortable as she. "We shouldn't be doing this..." Aang tried, but the other two were already picking at the lock.

Toph pulled the meteor bracelet off and bent it into the lock, twisting it open as Aang tried again to dissuade them. Realising they were too engrossed, and wanting no part of it anymore, Katara turned to leave and nearly collided with Hama, stood in the doorway.

"I'll tell you what's in the box."

"Hama, I'm so sorry…" Katara started, but Hama shook her head and held out one bony hand to Toph and Sokka. Looking guilty, Sokka handed the box to Hama, and she pulled out an old blue whale tooth comb.

A Southern Water Tribe comb.

"An old comb?" Sokka asked, surprised.

"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe." Hama stroked the comb fondly.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara breathed.

"Just like you," Hama confirmed.

Katara glanced around, suddenly nervous. "How did you know?"

"I'd know Southern Water Tribe people anywhere." Hama smiled. "I wanted to surprise you with a big Water Tribe dinner tonight… since it seems like you kids could do with some comfort food." She touched Katara's arm. "Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes if you stew them long enough."

"Great…" Aang said, but Katara held onto Hama's hand with a tenuous smile.

Hama returned it and gave her hand a squeeze. "I knew I felt a bond with you right away."

"I'm sorry we were sneaking around," Sokka said, sincerely, and he turned to Katara, head bowed. "It's no excuse but… I needed a distraction."

Katara reached out to take his hand, and drew him in for a hug. "We lost a friend, not long before you found us," Aang explained, and Katara felt Toph's sturdy arms wrap around her and Sokka. Katara looked up to see Aang bowing in apology to Hama. "Sokka's right. It's no excuse and I am deeply sorry."

"I thought as much," Hama nodded with an expression so much like Gran-Gran it was a physical ache for Katara. "Those Fire Nation bastards burn everything good in this world. Come on… Let's get cooking. It's good for the soul."

Cooking with Hama was like cooking with Gran-Gran again, but Katara found herself waiting for pale hands to heat the water to just the right temperature, or to light the grill, and Hama's presence was no longer as soothing as it had been in the market.

So she found herself stepping back, and letting Hama fuss over them all. When Hama brought out five-flavour soup and used waterbending to dish it out though, Katara stared at her in surprise. "You're a waterbender! I've never met another waterbender from our tribe!"

Hama's face twisted briefly, and she looked down in sorrow. "That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one…" Katara held her hands to her chest, thinking of the raids her tribe had suffered, and the raid that had killed her mother.

"How did you end up here?" Sokka asked, leaning on the table.

Hama met his eyes with fierce steel. "I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raids started. They came, again and again, each time rounding up more of our waterbenders and taking them captive… We did our best to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued. Finally, I too was captured." She turned to Katara. "They led me away in chains, the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. They put us in terrible prisons here, in the Fire Nation."

Her face twisted again, into something cold, traumatised and ugly, but she shook it away.

"I was the only one who managed to escape."

"How did you get away?" Sokka asked. "And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?"

"I'm sorry," Hama held her head in her hands. "It's too painful to talk about anymore…"

Katara reached out, her hand warm on Hama's cool arm. "We completely understand. We lost our friend as we said, and Sokka and I lost our mother in a raid,"

"Oh, you poor things." Hama put her hand over Katara's.

"I can't tell you what it means to meet you. It's an honour," Katara breathed. "You're a hero."

Hama smiled and held onto both Katara's hands. "I never thought I'd meet another Southern waterbender. I'd like to teach you what I know so you can carry on the Southern tradition when I'm gone."

It was everything Katara had dreamed of. The Northern Water Tribe had been helpful but she'd always thought she might be letting the Southern style of bending die out by learning it, even though there'd been no other option.

But now she had the chance- a real chance to learn Southern waterbending, which could be the thing that would give her a real advantage over Azula.

.

Zuko woke up in the dark, again. He struggled to keep track of time in here, and his hands and feet were chained to prevent him from bending. Not that he could if he tried.

He hadn't tried.

Seeing Appa flying away had hit him harder than he'd expected. He'd known it would happen eventually and had encouraged it. He'd sought Sokka out to deliberately make sure that he wouldn't endanger Aang and the others from a misplaced sense of loyalty.

But it had hurt. He wasn't sure he would ever forget the way they'd looked at him as they flew away, Sokka had had to hold Katara back, and Aang had looked so defeated. Toph had simply looked confused; she couldn't tell what was happening clearly when in Appa's saddle, and she was so young, sheltered. She probably couldn't comprehend the reasoning behind leaving him behind... but he'd been right; Azula was too powerful. Especially when backed by the Dai Li. Their appearance had changed everything.

He had been visited several times already by Azula, but never by his father. Sometimes she wanted to taunt him, perhaps about his own inadequacies or about the traps she had set for the others, and sometimes she wanted to hurt him. Once, she'd brought Ty Lee and Mai along to watch but maybe it hadn't been entertaining enough for them- they'd never shown up again.

"How's the prisoner?" He gritted his teeth and glared up at his sister, leaning against the doorway. "I do hope you're comfortable, Zu-Zu."

"Perfectly." Zuko grimaced. "Thank you for setting me up so comfortably here. I'm honoured."

"You have no honour," Azula responded, eyeing her fingernails critically. "But I can't have my dear brother sent too far away, can I?" She raised a thoughtful eyebrow. "Although maybe you'd _enjoy_ going to Boiling Rock…"

"Why didn't you catch Aang?" Zuko tried the offensive for once and was rewarded with a tiny tightening of her eyes as she glanced at him. "You had all those Dai Li, you had Mai and Ty Lee... But you didn't catch him."

"I'm not trying to _catch_ him," Azula corrected. "I'm trying to _kill_ him."

"Even easier." Zuko pointed out. "You don't need to worry about damage in transit."

It was very, very subtle but Zuko had years of watching Azula's perfection and the way she frowned and looked away was more slippage than he'd ever seen before. "We felt you were more of a liability than the Avatar was a threat." She said, cooly dismissive.

That was interesting, Zuko thought to himself. Why would he be a priority over the Avatar?

"You made the wrong choice in Ba Sing Se, Zu-Zu." Azula went on, "Together we could have defeated the Avatar and restored your honour. I had it all planned out but that _stupid_ little peasant went and ruined it." She approached the bars of his cage and wrapped her fingers around them, leering through at him. "You absolute traitor." Something in her words felt personal, as though he'd committed some unimaginable sin against her and she was hurt, but Azula didn't feel hurt.

"What's wrong?" He prodded. "Is Father angry at you?"

Her reaction was instant- she snapped a crackling flame across the floor and he gasped as it flickered across his chest, unable to bend it away. After a moment, the passion drained out of Azula and her cool indifference was back. She stepped back and looked at him for a long moment, as though weighing her options. "It would be so easy to kill you," She sighed, regretfully. "But live bait always works better."

Zuko jerked forwards but his manacles held him in place. He watched her give him a smug little wave and leave, with the door left tantalisingly open. He groaned and pulled against the chains, channelling his frustration into pulling at them with all of his strength but, of course, there wasn't much he could do.

His breaths came short and fast, and he tried to find his centre to regain some semblance of rational thought but his heart was beating too fast, it hurt.

He desperately hoped the others wouldn't fall for it.

.

Hama's training took a different slant than Katara had expected. Hama showed her how to take water from the air, and praised Katara's own resourcefulness when she had used sweat to escape captivity with Toph.

At the mention of their time in Fountain City, Katara's heart ached, but she tried to focus on learning Hama's new techniques- they would be useful when fighting in the Fire Nation, where water sources were not always predictable. Pulling water from unexpected places could give her the edge over Azula when she met her again, too.

Aang had taken the others into the woods, as part of his plan to assuage whatever angry spirit was taking people during the full moon, and Katara focused on her practice. When Hama showed her how to take the water from living plants it had seemed so callous, but she was right; they were just flowers, even if they were beautiful.

"Tonight I'll teach you the ultimate technique of waterbending. It can only be done during the full moon when your bending is at its peak." Hama promised, and Katara frowned. Catching her eye, Hama took her hand. "This technique is the most powerful available to any bender, and you can use it to make sure you never have to lose anyone else again."

Katara fought the sting of loss and nodded.

"Besides," Hama emphasised. "Two master waterbenders beneath a full moon? I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Hama herself was buzzing with excitement as night fell, Katara could see her fidgeting and glancing to Katara with an eager grin as the sun began to set and the moon rose. Katara had been sitting at the window of the inn most of the afternoon, watching the town's streets in case…

The best chance of escape was always whilst on the move, but Azula had already had enough time to get to the Capital if that was where she was taking him. Katara wasn't sure Zuko was coming, which meant that they needed to rescue him when they invaded on the day of the eclipse.

She wished the others were at the inn with her, but they were occupying themselves with spirit work, and she couldn't really blame them. They were all keeping busy- anything to distract them from the extra bag left unopened on Appa's saddle.

When it began to get properly dark, Hama led Katara back out to the woods, where Katara was anxiously aware of the fact that she couldn't hear the normal sounds of wildlife she would expect. "This doesn't feel right…" She muttered, but Hama wasn't listening.

"Can you feel the power the full moon brings?" She took a deep breath and stretched her arms out in front of her, flexing with unseen power. "For generations it has blessed waterbenders with its glow, allowing us to do incredible things! I've never felt more alive."

This Hama before her was different, more ominous. For the first time since meeting her, Katara felt the cool grip of dread.

"What I'm about to show you, I discovered in that wretched Fire Nation prison," Hama began to detail the way she'd been kept in captivity, away from any water of any type, and chained so that she could be force-fed. Katara shook her head, horrified. She'd known Hama had been imprisoned and logically, they must have implemented techniques to prevent the benders from attacking but she'd assumed it would be more like the way Haru's father had been imprisoned, where their oppression had weakened their will.

"Any sign of trouble was met with cruel retribution," Hama continued, "And yet each month, I felt the full moon enriching me with its energy- there had to be something I could do to escape... Then I realized that where there is life, there is water. The rats that scurried across the floor of my cage were nothing more than skins filled with liquid and I passed years developing the skill that would lead to my escape. Bloodbending." Katara felt the dread harden into icy horror. "Controlling the water in another body, enforcing your own will over theirs... Once I had mastered the rats, I was ready for the men."

Hama's eyes glinted with cruel pleasure as she recounted her story and Katara could do little more than watch in horror as Hama's hands twitched and twisted around invisible men in the pale light of the full moon.

The older woman lifted her head to the moon with her eyes closed in rapturous glee as she told of her escape, detailing the horror of what she'd done. Katara could understand the need for freedom but...

"But…" Katara grasped for the words. "To reach inside someone and control them? I don't know if I want that kind of power." She faltered, wondering what it would be like to hold onto Azula's arms, watch as the Fire Princess's eyes widened in horror when her body disobeyed her. Did she want that power?

"The choice is not yours. The power exists. And it's your duty to use the gifts you've been given to win this war," Hama urged. "Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture, your mother! Your friend!"

"I know," Katara whispered.

"Then you should understand what I'm talking about! We're the last two waterbenders of the Southern Tribe," Hama gestured to the woods around them. "We have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are, with any means necessary!"

The wildness in her eyes stunned Katara- how could this be the same woman who'd held her hand and cooked kumquats in the style of her Gran-Gran. Her utter disdain for the life of the Fire Nation soldiers… No, Katara realised, of any Fire Nation person.

If Hama had met Zuko, she might have inflicted this twisted form of bending on him. "It's you…" Katara hissed. "You're the one who's been making people disappear during the full moons!"

"They threw me in prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters! They deserve the same! You must carry on my work!" Hama was wild, furious and righteous- as though she couldn't understand how Katara didn't share her views.

"I won't," Katara pointed to Hama accusingly. "I won't use bloodbending and I won't allow you to hurt anyone else- there are good people in the Fire Nation, our _friend_ is Fire Nation-!" She stopped as her hand jerked violently to one side.

Hama's hands were outstretched, fingers plucking invisible strings as she twisted Katara around. "You should've learned the technique before you turned against me! It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip... I control every muscle, every vein in your body."

She forced Katara to her knees and the _pain_ was so aching, deep- the blood in Katara's very muscles was pulled and forced into unnatural shapes. "Stop!" Katara gasped. "Please…"

Helpless, hot tears coursed down her cheeks as Hama laughed cruelly. Katara tried to focus, to command the water in her to _release_ , to let her go. The full moon caused her chi to surge powerfully, pushing Hama's influence from her veins in increments.

With a deep, shuddering breath, Katara rose to glare back at her erstwhile friend. "You're not the only one who draws power from the moon," She said, dropping into a fighting stance. "My bending is more powerful than yours, Hama. Your technique is useless on me!"

They fell into battle. Katara pulled a thick ring of water around her body from which she channelled streams of water at Hama. Hama was quick for her age and sent blasts back at Katara with ease and drew water from a tree to channel towards Katara in a powerful blast. Katara blocked it and knocked Hama down just as Aang and Sokka approached through the trees.

"We know what you've been doing, Hama!" Sokka accused and Aang dropped to a fighting stance beside him.

"Give up- you're outnumbered."

"No," Hama countered, standing shakily. "You've outnumbered yourselves!" Katara watched in horror as Hama took control of the boys' bodies and sent them lunging at her. They cried out in fear, and Katara remembered the bone-deep ache that came with bloodbending and sent a stream of water at Hama from the ground, but Hama deflected it.

"Katara, look out!" She turned to see Sokka swinging his sword at her jerkily. "It's like my brain has a mind of its own! Stop it arm, stop it!"

Katara deflected his attacks as Aang waved his arms wildly. "This feels weird!"

"Sorry Aang," Katara froze him to a tree and he smiled.

"It's ok!"

She spotted Sokka about to attack under Hama's clumsy, jerky influence and froze his sword hand to a tree the way she had Aang. Hama chuckled, "Don't hurt your friends, Katara! And don't let them hurt each other!"

"No!" Katara's eyes widened as Sokka and Aang were both broken free of her ice and launched at each other. She had to act quickly.

 _Skins filled with liquid._

She reached out, desperate, and took hold. She wasn't sure of her grasp, but Hama was frozen and in her periphery, she could see Sokka and Aang were freed. Hama groaned in discomfort and Katara felt a sympathetic ache in her bones but pressed the elder down to her knees anyway.

She was so focused on suppressing Hama, she didn't notice Toph's arrival with a horde of Fire Nation civilians until someone was handcuffing Hama. "You're going to be locked away forever," Someone said, and Katara released the old woman's blood, sagging in despair.

"My work is done," Hama smirked. "Congratulations Katara, you're a Bloodbender."

She began to laugh as the villagers led her away, and Katara began to sob. She didn't want this, she didn't want it- but a very dark part of her was contemplating how she could use this when they next fought Azula.

 _Hold on, Zuko._ She thought as she felt Sokka's arms wrap around her. _You're not alone. We're coming._

.

 _Don't come._ Zuko silently willed them, as he listened with growing horror to his sister's plans.


	10. The Importance of Planning Ahead

They were making good time, Sokka reassured her, but Katara still found herself sat beside Aang at Appa's head, silently urging them onward, faster, onward.

The sooner they met up with her father and the others, the sooner Sokka's rescue plan could be confirmed; it hinged too heavily on too many unknown quantities. They didn't stop for long at any of their planned rest points- just long enough to check that Zuko wasn't there and to sleep. Or pretend to sleep. Appa would rest and Aang would vent his silent frustration by fighting trees. Katara knew she should be helping to train him further, but she was too focused on playing through the variables of Sokka's modified invasion plan.

The guilt that Iroh didn't know about his Nephew's capture gnawed at her. "Hey, Sokka," She hissed through the darkness. Sokka turned to face her immediately, meaning he wasn't sleeping properly either. "Do you think we should use Hawky to let Iroh know what's happened?"

Sokka hummed. "We should give Dad an update on our progress too, but what if it gets intercepted?"

"We could write it in code," Katara suggested, took out a scroll. The light of the waning moon was good enough for her to see but it would be easier with a proper light- Zuko's usefulness was, again, missed.

"Hi Dad, please tell Uncle that Lee has gone to visit his sister for a family reunion, but he doesn't like his new rooms." Katara wrote carefully. "We are still on our way home but were delayed by old friends. Making good time now, and will see you before you leave on holiday."

Sokka shuffled closer, still in his sleeping bag, and squinted down at it. "Maybe add: Would be nice to visit Lee and his sister, we are hoping to visit with Uncle's… uh," He paused. "What's a good word to refer to the old crew?"

"Friends?" Katara asked, but Sokka shook his head.

"How about 'band'?" He pondered, "That way Iroh will know we mean the crew- remember he used to run music nights on the ship?"

Katara grinned. "That's great, Sokka," She finished the letter as dictated. "I wish we had better news, though... Iroh will be devastated."

"Yeah," Sokka sighed. "I keep thinking it over in my head- how could we have gotten out of there together?" He smacked his head against the floor. "I keep seeing his face, and wondering if I left him because I'd never really forgiven him?" Sokka's voice broke a little. "But I had, I'm sure I had. He was my friend, Katara- it's hadn't been long but he was my friend and I left him."

His voice was strangely gasping, and Katara realised he was on the verge of tears, if not already crying. Katara reached out a hand, but there wasn't much she could say to him other than simply "I know."

"I can't stop thinking about it. I keep trying to do something else or think about something else but all I can think about is how Azula can make lightning and I said we'd face her together but I left him alone anyway."

 _And I said I'd never turn my back on people who needed me, but here we are._ Katara had nothing to say to make Sokka feel better, so she found his hand in the dark and looked up at the stars in silence as he gasped breathlessly into the grass.

It was just a few days later that they made it to the rendezvous point. Seeing the ships come through the fog towards them lifted their spirits a little- especially when Katara made out the Northern Water Tribe ships travelling at the side of the Fire Nation ship with Hakoda, Bato and Iroh at the helm.

The Fire Nation ship docked first and Hakoda led the others, all dressed in Fire Nation armour, down to meet the kids on the shore. He brought his children in for a tight hug. "I'm sorry," He said, stroking their hair. "I'm so sorry."

Katara risked a look over his shoulder at Iroh, who was pallid and sad-looking. Aang approached him and spoke in low, hushed tones. Katara hadn't seen Aang pick up Zuko's belongings but when he passed them to Iroh the old man bowed his head and sobbed.

Something about seeing the old Firebender weep this way brought it back out of Katara, and she pulled away from her dad to throw her arms around Iroh, Aang stood with his head bowed and Toph held onto Iroh's arm. They stayed like that for a long time, letting the other ships dock and the fighters Hakoda had gathered disembark. Hakoda and Bato coordinated the preparation of the various campsites. If Katara had looked up, she would have been gratified to see so many of the familiar faces Sokka had asked for were present.

"I'm so sorry," Sokka said miserably, and they all turned to look at him. He bowed low to Iroh, his face crumpled in pain. "It was my fault. I left him behind."

"Sokka-"

"No, Aang," Sokka met Iroh's eyes with determined humility. "I did. I made the choice to get out of there when the Dai Li showed up. Zuko got captured and I made the choice. I'm so sorry, General Iroh." The use of Iroh's former title felt odd, out of place for this man who had served them all tea and told gentle stories by firelight. But they were at war, and Iroh was a General.

Iroh stepped forward and took Sokka into a tight hug. "You made a very difficult decision, my boy," He said, voice thick with emotion. "But I am sure my nephew would not want you to be so hard on yourself. I'm also sure that if you had been able to save him, you would have."

Sokka simply clung to him, muttering feverish apologies as Iroh stroked his hair like a child.

Maybe that's because they were just children, Katara mused as she finally took in the small army that had gathered to invade the Fire Nation- so many older, more seasoned warriors were here, ready to take over and save the world. What right did a small group of kids have to tell them what to do?

But they had all been born in war, and it was the children who had to build the world to come, so once Sokka had calmed down Iroh gave him a deep, solemn bow and handed Zuko's swords to him. "I have a feeling that you'll need these," He said gently. "For when you get him back."

Sokka took the swords and bowed again.

"We're ready when you are, if you'd be so kind as to tell us what we can do to help Prince Zuko," Katara turned in surprise to see Jee stood behind them, his helmet in hand. It looked as though all the captured soldiers were here, waiting for Sokka's orders.

In his surprise, Sokka nearly dropped the dao blades, but with a warm, proud smile from Hakoda, he drew himself up and squared his shoulders. "I'm glad you've joined us, Lieutenant. We have a much better chance of succeeding with you on our side."

"I sailed with that boy for three years," Jee said softly, "He is difficult, bad-tempered and stubborn, but he is our country's best hope for a future worth having... And a good kid." Jee and Iroh exchanged small smiles. "Your letter mentioned that you might need our help."

Sokka nodded. "A group of Fire Nation soldiers will have an easier time accessing Zuko than insurgents whilst the invasion is going on and we'll need Zuko freed as early as possible so that he can help with the fighting. I've been trying to think of the best excuse for you to be visiting him during the invasion and the best I can figure is you'd take over at shift change?"

But Jee was shaking his head. "Shift change wouldn't happen during any battle- it would be too transparent."

"What if you were bringing in a captive?" Katara asked, but Sokka held up a hand.

"If Azula knew one of us was being brought in, she'd know we were coming for Zuko."

"Not one of _us_ ," Katara grinned, reaching into Zuko's bag and pulling out a wooden mask. "The scourge of the Fire Nation colonies, the Blue Spirit."

She placed the mask over her face and looked through the eye holes at Jee. If he was surprised, he didn't let it show. He simply stroked his beard thoughtfully and looked to the other men. "That would also explain our return from the Earth Kingdom to anyone who recognised us," They chatted away and hashed out their plan well into the night.

Iroh seemed fairly confident that he knew where Zuko would be kept and, for the first time in days, Katara felt confident. Sokka's invasion plan was good, and the rescue plan was coming together.

It was decided that Katara would travel with the Fire Nation soldiers and Iroh, on the ship, slightly ahead of the invasion force. Iroh went through Zuko's pack and gave her the dark clothes to wear with the mask, and Sokka handed the dao blades to Jee.

"Zuko will be needing these." He smiled up at the soldier. "Make sure he gets them, and look after my sister, okay?"

"On my honour." Jee bowed, and Iroh put a heavy hand on Katara's shoulder. It was a bit of a shock to realise that Katara felt perfectly comfortable surrounded by these former enemies. The armour still gave her a creeping sense of foreboding, but in their faces, she saw friends and comrades rather than simply yellow-eyed enemies.

It was nice to see that Hakoda seemed to trust Iroh's judgement too, and he gave Jee a warrior's farewell as they prepared to board. The sight of the Southern Water Tribe Chief and a Lieutenant of the Fire Nation holding each other's arms with a firm smile gave Katara a curious lump in her throat. This was what the future could be if they gave it a chance.

If they won.

Aang sought her out before they finally departed. "Hey, Katara," He asked gently, "Can I talk to you a sec?"

"We need to get going, soon, I don't want to risk not making it in time," Katara glanced over her shoulder at the ship. "But of course, Aang. What did you want to talk about?"

Aang eyed her carefully, and she grew a bit uncomfortable under his steady stare- he'd not _changed_ per se since he'd unlocked the Avatar State, but there was something odd in his expression that she couldn't place. Eventually, he smiled a little sadly. "I just wanted to say good luck."

"Thanks, Aang," Katara smiled back at him and pulled him into a quick hug. "Zuko and I will see you on the battlefield in no time, got it?"

He looked as though he had something else to say, but simply nodded and gave her a cheerful wave. Katara grinned and headed up the gangplank to where Jee and Iroh stood, waiting. Dressed in the Blue Spirit get-up, she felt conspicuously out of place amongst the deep reds and golds of the other shipmates.

.

The journey to the Capital was a generally quiet affair, Iroh would keep mostly to himself, thinking deeply over a pot of tea, and most of the soldiers were nice enough but awkward around the teenage girl in their midst. One woman, a soldier called Kei, tried to make idle conversation with Katara every now and then, but didn't seem able to find a good topic beyond "We're lucky with the weather," and "Can I get you some tea?"

When they began passing other Fire Nation ships more frequently, Katara was kept below deck with Iroh, where neither of them could be spotted. With little to do but think, Katara found herself sat in the gymnasium, meditating as she had with Zuko and Aang during their bending practice. It felt strange being back on this ship without her friends, especially wearing Zuko's clothes. Here on the ship, it seemed like everything reminded her of him and she couldn't focus on anything else. Despite her repeated assertions that he would be okay, the fact was they had no idea what condition he'd be in when they found him, or whether he would even be where Iroh thought he was.

She was violently hoping for the best case scenario. Taking a deep breath, Katara buried her face in the sleeves of Zuko's top to try to calm herself down. There were so many ways this could go wrong. The confidence that had filled her during planning had all but vanished, and all she could feel was her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.

Eventually, she heard a gentle knock at the door. Looking up, she saw Kei standing apologetically with manacles in hand. "Master Katara," She bowed. "It's time."

Iroh appeared at Kei's side in plain robes. His hands were chained too. There was a deep, instinctive rejection in Katara even as Kei locked the manacles and gave her the key to hide under her tongue. These were not her enemies, but it was difficult to tell herself that when the mask was fixed in place and her chains were in the hand of a fully helmeted Fire Nation soldier.

Iroh gave her a small, encouraging smile as a bag was placed over his head. "So I'm not recognised," He shrugged, and his voice was deliberately light to put her at ease but it just made Katara feel more alone.

.

Today, Mai and Ty Lee were guarding Zuko. He wasn't sure why they were here, rather than the usual firebending soldiers and Azula's repeated visits to hurt him, but he had a suspicion. Ty Lee was making cheerful attempts at conversation, whilst Mai sat in relative silence, occasionally frowning in Zuko's direction.

He had no idea what to do. If he was right, and today was the day of the eclipse, then his friends were walking right into a trap.

 _Oh_ , he thought to himself a little dizzily, _I just called them my friends._

A fat lot of good it did him, now. He sighed, catching Mai's attention. He hadn't been fed or watered for a few days and he felt dizzily delirious. He struggled to keep track of the days down here.

Mai glanced to Ty Lee. "He doesn't look right," She muttered, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Did you bring anything?"

Ty Lee rummaged through her pockets. "Just a flask of fire whisky, in case we were down her a while," She smiled at her friend, embarrassed but Mai just took it without saying anything. She gave it a sniff and frowned.

"Can't make him any worse, I guess," She sighed and approached Zuko's bars. "Zuko, look at me."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but she simply held out the flask through the bars. Reluctantly, Zuko leaned forward to take the flask and took a swig of the fire whisky. It burned his parched throat but it felt good to drink, and he nodded gratefully.

"How are you holding up?" She asked. "Not that I care."

Zuko shook his head, laughing harshly. "I've been better," He took another hefty gulp.

"Yeah, well," Mai sighed. "You guys have always known how to hurt each other the best." Zuko frowned into the flask and Ty Lee made a strangled sort of noise in the background.

"Mai," She implored, "What are you doing?"

"Please," Mai snorted. "Azula's busy in the palace tunnels. Besides, my family and I are loyal to the Fire Nation."

"Azula's at the Palace?" Zuko breathed if she was in the tunnels, that meant Ozai was hidden away as planned, and the Avatar was walking into a trap.

"Anyway, today's the eclipse. You won't be able to bend fire at all in… what, a few hours?" Ty Lee checked, and Mai nodded. "So guarding you, a firebender, should be easy." He glared at her through the bars but she simply gave him an uncomfortable smile.

"I need a break," Mai sighed heavily, and Ty Lee stood. "I'm going to get some air. It's stuffy as hell down here, and this room is depressing."

"Mai?" Ty Lee went to follow her but Mai glared over her shoulder. "I'll uh, I'll stay with the prisoner then."

"Zuko," Mai said, stood in the doorway, she looked back at him with an odd expression but shook her head. "Forget it. I'll see you around."

She slipped into the shadows and Ty Lee sighed. "Give me that," She took the flask and drank greedily. "You could be a bit nicer to Mai, you know. She's always liked you."

"I am nice. Why is any of this my fault?" Zuko frowned. Ty Lee had always irritated him growing up; she was too eager to help, eager to make friends, eager to please… just too eager in general. She was eager to serve Azula and never seemed to have any desires of her own.

"A girl's heart is easily bruised," Ty Lee pointed to him. "And having you around with this brand new heartbreaker face is just dangerous."

Zuko didn't respond, too busy thinking through his options. Whatever Azula was _busy_ doing in the tunnels probably meant she was preparing something for the eclipse, which meant the others were walking into a trap.

.

Katara was grateful that most of the soldiers remained on the ship, ready to help with the invasion when the others arrived in a few hours. Jee led the way through the crowded streets of the dock, filled with soldiers. Plenty of soldiers gave the chained prisoners curious glances, but as they'd hoped, Jee was able to lead them through the city unmolested. Every now and then he would be acknowledge with a respectful bow but everyone seemed otherwise occupied.

The steady climb up towards the Caldera was torturously slow. Katara could feel the heat beating down on her back, and it seemed to radiate upwards from the very earth beneath her feet, and she was glad of the lightness of the clothes she wore, which wicked the sweat from her body and kept her cool.

It was strange, but she couldn't see many civilians even when they'd left the bustling docks behind. Maybe everyone in the Capital was a soldier, if they weren't nobles. She didn't know much about the Fire Nation's Capital, or the people in it, and maybe she'd been naive to think it would be anything like the other places in the Fire Nation that she'd seen,

It certainly wasn't like anywhere else she'd seen, Fire Nation or otherwise. As they climbed up, the tall, narrow buildings of the dock gave way to more functional administrative buildings, and eventually the prison loomed ahead. "It's ok," Kei whispered to her. "We're nearly there."

The guards at the door stood to attention as Jee led them over the drawbridge. "Sir," One saluted and Jee gave him a courteous bow of the head.

"Lieutenant Jee, bringing two prisoners from the Earth Kingdom colonies." The two guards exchanged an unsure glance but led the way inside anyway. One flirted half heartedly with Kei as they entered the prison warden's office for check-in.

"So the Blue Spirit, huh?" He smiled. "What is he, some Earth Kingdom dissenter?"

"Something like that," Kei hummed noncommittally as the guard opened a ledger. "Where are the other guards today?"

"Eclipse duty," The guard shrugged, "Except for some reason the princess has her friends down here today with the banished prince- ack!" Kei had her sword at his throat and Jee had disarmed the other guard in the blink of an eye. Katara took the hint and quickly shed her manacles.

"Where's Prince Zuko?" Jee demanded. The guards swore and thrashed about as they were chained to the wall. "Tell us."

"No need," Iroh sighed as he flicked through the ledger. "I know where he is."

They quietly snuck out of the office and began to head downstairas into the lower levels when a flash of metal caught Katara's attention. She had to spin to catch the silvery senbon needles in a quick blast of ice and beside her, Kei launched into action with her sword, deflecting further needles with the arm guard of her armour.

"Go!" She hissed against Mai's onslaught. Jee nodded and Iroh led the way downstairs but Katara paused.

"Be careful- Mai's a lot tougher than she looks."

"Yeah?" Kei grinned back at her. "So am I. Go rescue the Prince."

Katara nodded and followed the older men into the darkness.

The good news for them was that if Mai was out here, then it was hopefully only Ty Lee guarding Zuko at present. Katara's skin crawled as she thought back to previous encounters with the circus freak who could block chi. If she had a choice of who to face, it was probably Mai, but if Ty Lee was with Zuko, then that's who she'd fight.

Jee and Iroh each handed her their flasks of water and she strapped them to her hips, taking a deep breath as they approached the room where Zuko was being held. "Oh good," Ty Lee stood and turned to face them. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it."

The room they'd entered was dark, with a small table and two chairs against the wall across from a large, barred cell. Katara felt like she'd lost her breath and for a few moments she barely even registered Ty Lee's presence.

He looked awful; in captivity his beard had grown out rough and patchy, he looked tired, unfocused and there were marks where his manacles had rubbed the skin raw... but after days and days of picturing him being used for target practice she was immeasurably relieved to see he was mostly unscathed. Iroh seemed to feel much the same. "Zuko, it is very good to see you." He smiled.

"Uncle? What-?" Zuko glanced between Iroh and Katara realised they probably looked an odd sight- Iroh in simple peasant clothing between a Fire Nation Lieutenant and the Blue Spirit. But within seconds his eyes sharpened and he tugged his body forwards, urgently. "You have to tell the others, Azula has something planned-"

"Sorry!" Ty Lee cartwheeled in front of him. "Azula would really rather that you _don't_ do that."

Iroh glanced to Katara. "We'll keep her occupied, you get Zuko free." He turned and sent a torrent of fire at the girl, who swung this way and that to avoid him, and Jee circled her with Zuko's swords in hand.

Rolling to one side, Katara brought water up to the lock of Zuko's cell and froze it hard. Seeing this, Zuko's eyes widened. "Katara?" He hissed. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the others?"

"How are you?" Katara demanded. "Have they hurt you?" She chipped away at the frozen lock, trying not to focus on the fight happening behind her. She could feel the heat of Iroh's fire and tried not to think about how close the clashing of swords were to her back; she had a job to do and she had to trust that the two Fire Nation men behind her wouldn't let a hit land.

"No, I'm not hurt. Just a little battered." Zuko answered, watching her carefully. In frustration, she grabbed the Blue Spirit mask from her face and used the edge of it to pry at the lock. "We don't have time," He urged. "When the eclipse starts, Uncle will lose his advantage over Ty Lee- I don't know where Mai is but if she gets back and I'm still here you need to _get out_." He was watching the fight over her shoulder and the honest fear nearly tipped her over the edge.

"Look at me," Katara gripped the bars and pressed her face against them, startled, he met her glare. "I am not leaving you behind again. Ever. We're getting out of here, and we're going to find the others and save the damned world. Trust me."

He stared at her for a moment, before setting his jaw and nodding in determination. "Freeze my handcuffs."

She glanced at them and shook her head. "I can do the chains but I don't want to injure you by accident- if I get too close to the skin-"

"It's faster, and I can help you with the lock if I'm not chained to the floor. Freeze them," So she did. He hissed as the ice made contact with blistered skin but she kept cooling the metal until he was able to smash it open on the flagstones. His hand finally free, he worked to open the cuffs at his ankles, shivering violently.

In the light of Iroh's fire, Katara could see how his lips were chapped and the dark shadows under his eyes. "Here, drink this," She passed him one of her flasks and he drank it quickly- too quickly. Then he fixed his eyes on the door to the cell and rose shakily to his feet. "What-" But he threw his body against it, hard.

The door burst open and Jee tossed him his twin swords. He looked a little unsteady on his feet but threw himself into the foray nevertheless. Jee drew his own, longer sword and Ty Lee pirouetted out of the way. Katara sent a blast of ice to where she landed, forcing her to slide to one side, unceremoniously crashing into the table.

Ty Lee lifted herself onto her hands atop the table, and Katara sent another blast of ice at her hands, attempting to fix her to the table but Ty Lee leapt away easily and a graceful arc of senbon came sailing through the doorway. Mai entered the room, looking a little bruised but clearly having beaten Kei.

"Oh, good!" Ty Lee grinned. "You're back."

"Ran into some trouble on the stairs," Mai replied, eyeing Zuko. "Clearly you're struggling without me."

"Just waiting for you," Ty Lee chirped, and they separated to either side of the small room, attacking in harmony together as the four allies fought back to back in the middle. Katara could feel how clumsy Zuko's movements were, compared with normal, and she wasn't sure he didn't need any proper healing but, as he'd said- they didn't really have time.

Katara managed to deflect a couple of slim daggers and glanced to the doorway. It was totally unblocked. Mai and Ty Lee, oddly enough, seemed to have moved away from the door. Zuko noticed it at the same moment she did. "Uncle! Lieutenant!" They escaped through the door and Katara iced it over before either girl could jump through.

She didn't take the time to wonder why they dropped their fighting stances, and looped one of Zuko's arms over her shoulders. "I can walk," He muttered, affronted, and she rolled her eyes.

"Can you run?"

"... No."

Iroh led the way and they hurried up the stairs. When they came across Kei's slumped form, Katara ran a hand over her injuries to ensure she was alright. Thankfully, she didn't appear seriously hurt, and Katara was able to get her up and walking without using up too much water.

"We have to stop the invasion," Zuko breathed, and Katara looked at him in alarm.

"What?"

"Azula has something planned- they'll never reach my Father and Azula... Do we have time to get to the others?" She looked up at his pale, drawn face and the thinly veiled panic in his face. Whatever he knew, it was vitally important that they get to the others and warn them.

"Okay," She nodded, squeezing his arm around her shoulder. "Okay. We can get there- I think we can get there in time. Let's go." And he nodded in grim determination.

They unhitched some military mongoose lizards from the prison stables. Jee climbed on with Kei, who was conscious still fairly out of it- she would need a proper healing session soon, Iroh mounted another and Zuko held the reins of a third. "Do you know how to ride one?" He checked, and she shook her head. "Come on, then. I'll probably need someone to hold me steady anyway."

He climbed on first, and the effort it took him was obvious. He groaned and pitched forwards slightly when the mongoose lizard twitched beneath him. "Yeah, no kidding." Katara sighed, in concern and climbed up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and tried to feel with a handful of water for any signs of injury. They rode down to the harbour and she could feel the deep tissue bruises and small burns- despite what he'd said in the cells he _had_ been hurt while being held there.

She focused on keeping him upright and healing what she could find on his torso. The blisters on his wrists and ankles looked nasty, and a little dirty which was concerning but she'd have to address those later. They rose at breakneck speed; the sun shone bright up ahead, but the shadow of the moon could be seen approaching steadily. Zuko seemed to crackle with anxious energy, urging his mongoose lizard on, and pulling well ahead of Iroh and Jee.

The invasion was just beginning as they reached the harbour, the alarms were ringing and the submarines had made it to the sea walls. Zuko pulled his steed to a sudden halt as they reached the high walls above the harbour. "Oh no," He breathed. Tanks powered by earthbenders crawled up to the gates beside them, flanked on each side by Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom warriors. "We have to stop them."

"Why?" Katara urged, trying to look up at his face from behind him. "It could work. We _can_ win this."

Zuko looked to her in desperation. "Don't you see? Where are the rest of the soldiers?"

Katara looked down at the scene below, confused. The wide, flagstone military harbour beneath them had no Fire Nation soldiers on it yet, just archers who shot down from the parapets. Iroh and Jee pulled up behind them and Iroh squinted up to the sky.

Aang would already be halfway to the Caldera now- soaring overhead whilst the invasion force split the soldiers between the palace and the harbour. With a sinking feeling, Katara realised Zuko was probably right, but they had to try anyway.

"Aang will already be heading to the palace," Katara confirmed. "We have to get there to help him." But her grip on him tightened when she recognised two Water Tribe warriors scaling the walls. Below them, Sokka and Hakoda burst out of the parapets, but something was wrong. Hakoda collapsed, stumbling and clutching his side. "Dad!" Katara gasped. Growling in frustration, Zuko turned the mongoose lizard and charged it downhill.

"Get to the palace!" He called back. "We'll follow you when we can!"

"Be careful, nephew," Iroh called after them, and Katara turned to see the two men steer and charge back up the side of the Caldera. The mongoose lizards were built for speed, and they disappeared up the now eerily quiet streets before Katara registered what was happening.

"There will be some soldiers inside the walls, so keep your wits about you," Zuko told her as they neared her fallen father. Sokka ran to his side and was looking around in that lost way children do when their parents disappear. Katara hoped fervently that it wasn't too late.

"Sokka!" Katara cried as they got near. He turned with his sword ready but paused and squinted at them. Despite his furrowed brow, the relief on his face when he recognised them was clear.

"Zuko!" His face crumpled. "Katara- can you-?" Before he could finish, she slid off the mongoose lizard and ran to her dad, hands at the ready with water gloving them. Her dad had a large burn mark on the side of his waist, and Sokka watched in strained eagerness as she closed the wound. "Thank the spirits."

Hakoda stirred and blinked up at them. "Oh, jeez. Did I need rescuing? That's kind of embarrassing."

"Tell me about it," Zuko grunted and Hakoda squinted up at him from the floor. His face split into a grin.

"Prince Zuko," He nodded, struggling to sit up. Katara and Sokka both put hands on his shoulders to steady him. "I'm truly glad to see you in one piece, and not just because it will cheer up my children."

Katara smiled and looked back to Zuko who, backlit by the fierce, high sun, looked every inch the prince. Then her eyes adjusted to the brightness and her heart ached a little for the embarrassed boy smiling hesitantly at her dad. "Thank you, sir."

"You look about as good as I feel, though," Hakoda held his side and suppressed a gasp.

Zuko straightened in his saddle and looked down at the tanks below, some fire nation tanks had emerged to greet them now, and the fight was beginning in earnest. "They're prepared for the invasion- I think there's a trap set for Aang at the palace."

Sokka frowned. "Of course, the palace will be heavily guarded- we expect that."

"I won't be able to lead the invasion," Katara looked down at her dad, who was still clutching his side, looking pained. "Sokka… it's your decision."

Sokka nodded and stood, meeting Zuko's eyes fiercely. "We need to get to the palace as soon as possible in order to make it before the eclipse. Are you with us?" Zuko's mouth was set in a hard, grim line and he glared back at Sokka before giving a tiny, furious nod of his head.

"I'm with you... if only to stop you getting yourself killed," Zuko said, finally, and got down from the mongoose lizard. Katara looked up at Appa who, clad in fine armour, landed beside them and gave Zuko plenty of nuzzles and licks. It seemed as though Appa was apologising for leaving Zuko behind, and Zuko had to give his nose plenty of rubs before he stopped his love-bombing of the prince.

"Dad- get yourself out of here as soon as you can," Katara urged. Sokka began to shout orders down to the others as they all climbed onto Appa. "We can still win this," She tried as they flew down to collect Toph who was causing havoc in the harbour, still. "Aang's mastered the Avatar state and if we can get past your sister…"

Zuko didn't say anything, and Katara got the distinct impression he still wasn't fully on board with continuing the invasion... but Zuko was also not the type to give up. If they couldn't save Aang from having to face whatever Azula had planned, they could at least help him win.


	11. It's Important To Let Go Of Your Hurt

The Caldera itself was still eerily quiet, and although the spookiness of it didn't bother her, Katara found herself sweating fearfully as Zuko charged through the streets. His back was still shaking beside her, and she wasn't sure anymore whether it was his injuries or exhaustion or just his stubborn determination to reach Aang.

"Zuko!" Katara looked ahead to see Aang sprinting down to meet them at the base of the palace steps. Iroh, Jee and Kei were stood at the entrance to what could only be the palace, a little up ahead. Appa came down in a crashing landing and Aang threw himself at Zuko, wrapping him in a too-tight hug that made Zuko gasp in pain. "I knew they'd find you," Aang released him and they both fell haphazardly to the floor.

The tanks and warriors were still fighting the Fire Nation soldiers on the zig-zagging mountain path that connected the harbour and Caldera, so it was a small crew that assembled at the gates to the palace. "We don't have much longer until the eclipse," Sokka announced, checking the timekeeping piece that the Mechanist had given to him. "Zuko, where will Ozai be?"

"There's a system of tunnels and bunkers beneath the palace," Zuko managed to scramble to his feet and dusted off his ragged clothes. "But Azula has traps set by Dai Li agents. It will be nearly impossible to get to him in time."

"We'll have to do our best," Aang said grimly. "This is our best chance."

"We'll meet with the other troops to take the city," Jee said. "You kids go win the war."

They all climbed up onto Appa's back and Zuko nodded to Jee, Kei and Iroh. "Be careful," He said, sounding rather pleading. Iroh smiled up at him indulgently.

"Don't worry yourself, Nephew- we are more than capable of taking care of ourselves," He paused. "Remember that my brother and niece's firebending ability comes from a place of anger, but the true fire is life."

Zuko gave his uncle a long look, opened his mouth as though to speak and seemed to think better of it. He looked away with a grimace. "Let's go."

"You can tell him you're having trouble bending. He might know what's wrong," Aang suggested but was answered with a fierce glare. "Or we can focus on winning the war first- whichever is good."

Sokka was watching Zuko with an odd expression, torn halfway between irritation and remorse. Now that it was just the five of them on Appa's back again, the fact that it was their fault Zuko had been captured weighed heavily, and they rode in silence as Zuko steered Appa to a remote point high on the side of the Caldera.

Katara looked around, searching for some sort of entrance but the area was sparse- there were no buildings in sight. Zuko looked back towards the city behind them and seemed to measure the distance by sight. "We should be just above the main chamber," He slid off Appa's head only after Toph was already on the ground, feeling the earth beneath her. "If we're able to drop straight into the main room then we should minimise the risk of falling into any traps in the corridor network."

"I feel it," Toph confirmed and focused. "There are a few Dai Li agents nearby but I can't tell exactly where." She motioned for the others to gather around her and Aang handed Momo to Appa with a promise to see them soon.

Sokka took her hand on one side and she gave it a squeeze. She looked to Zuko and reached for his hand but stopped short at the expression on his face; he wasn't looking at any of them. Eyes down, brow furrowed and mouth twisted in an impossibly deep frown. She felt very far away from him, and let her hand fall back to her side.

Above them, the sun darkened.

"Let's go." Toph grinned and dropped them down. The earth rumbled and they slid down into it on what felt like a descending platform until they hit a dead end. "Metal," Toph explained and reached down to sink her hands into it. Katara squeezed her brother's hand tightly and gave him a quick reassuring smile.

He grinned back at her, but it was tight and tense.

They dropped into a brightly lit chamber and immediately scrambled to that all of their backs were to one another, facing outwards and ready to attack, but the room was empty.

Nearly empty, anyway.

She was lounging on the throne, one hand beneath her chin and one leg swung casually across the other. The cool, amused smirk she wore set Katara's teeth on edge.

"Azula," Zuko glowered at his sister. "Where is he?"

The smirk tensed and Azula lifted her chin from her hand, glaring darkly back at him. "Brother. What an interesting development. Where are Mai and Ty Lee?"

"I guess you trusted the wrong people," Katara smirked, but the reaction she expected didn't come from Azula. Zuko practically flinched at her words, and she glanced to him in concern but Azula was already standing up, forcing her to refocus on the enemy at hand.

Azula was absolutely dressed for battle, but Katara had never seen her fight without relying exclusively on her bending. Aang stepped forward as she stood, and clenched his fists tightly. "Where is the Fire Lord?" He demanded.

"And don't lie," Toph chimed in. "I can tell if you're lying."

"Are you sure?" Azula said lightly and stepped off the dais. "I'm a pretty good liar. Not a family trait, unfortunately; Poor Zu-zu is an open book," Her eyes slid to Zuko who was stood rigidly stiff beside Katara. "Right now? He's wondering how he can trust all of you after you left him for dead in Fountain City."

Toph made a couple of quick gestures and the ground lifted to swallow her up to her neck. She raised an eyebrow and raised her chin. "Shut up!" She shouted and clenched her hands in front of her, tightening the rock prison around Azula.

Katara stepped forward behind Aang, furiously glaring at the princess. "We came to save him!"

"Did you?" Azula smirked. "Or was he a convenient stop off point? You know… since you happened to be in the area."

"No," Aang lifted his chin confidently. "Zuko is our friend."

But when Katara glanced back at him, she could see the vulnerable doubt in Zuko's firmly closed mouth, and he glared at Azula with widened, desperate eyes. The muscle in his neck jumped and quivered with restrained emotion and Katara wheeled on him. "You are our _friend_ ," She choked out, gripping each of his shoulders tightly and shaking him. "I am so sorry, I'm _so sorry_ that we did this to you."

Zuko dragged his eyes from Azula and finally looked at her. Katara moved her hands from his shoulders to grab the sides of his face, holding him tightly and forcing him to remain there.

"Whatever we have to do to make it better, we will," Sokka promised. Zuko pulled out of Katara's hands and swept his eyes nervously around the others. He wasn't convinced, maybe he never would be, but he'd already made up his mind.

He might not trust them but he was with them. Unfortunately, that was the best they could hope for right now.

"Oh, please," Azula sighed. "Poor Zu-zu and his childhood trauma. Does no one here care about _me_?"

"Oh, sure. Isn't it your own friends you should be worrying about?" Katara taunted, turning back to smirk at the trapped princess. "They didn't put up that much of a fight when we rescued Zuko."

Azula's eyes narrowed. "Well that's unexpected, I'll admit- but of no real consequence," She purred. "I've made some new friends."

And the rocks holding Azula in place slipped away. Toph jerked in surprise and two Dai Li agents melted out of the darkness. Aang reacted instantly, sending a wide swipe of air at them, but they blocked it with a huge wall crashing closed, splitting the room in two.

Aang and toph reacted immediately, blasting a hole each in the new wall and charging through. "Oh great," Sokka remarked. "Have they forgotten the rest of us can't earthbend?"

Zuko was already scrambling through one of the holes chasing after them, and Katara watched him disappear with an odd, yearning sort of feeling that she didn't have time to focus on because Sokka was trying to climb up after him and she could hear the crashing of earthbending beyond the wall. She brought out some water to give herself a boost to the higher of the two holes and began to climb through, just in time to see Azula leap through the lower hole with a member of the Dai Li.

She was pursued by Aang and Toph, forcing Sokka back but Zuko was caught up with the second Dai Li and Katara pushed herself through the hole to help him.

She sent a blade of water at the Dai Li agent's back and grinned in triumph when it connected with his shoulder, splitting his sleeve and leaving a small but bloody gash in its wake. Zuko took advantage of the man's distraction to dart in close, swiping at his chest and sliding beneath the agent's outstretched arms.

Katara kept herself on the opposite side of the agent to keep his attention split between them and sent a water whip at his feet to unbalance him. The agent staggered to one side and Zuko took advantage of his movement to land a blow to his upper chest.

"Get his arms!" Katara called and Zuko manoeuvred himself behind the agent, twisting both wrists tightly against the agent's back and pushing up, causing the man to cry out in pain. Zuko put pressure on the injured arm and forced him to his knees so that Katara could bind his wrists with ice.

"Come on, we need to catch up with the others before Azula gets them lost," Zuko urged breathlessly. Katara could see the fight was taking its toll but before she could say anything he was already struggling through the wall and she was faced with no choice but to chase after him.

They ran down the corridor in pursuit, but when they came to a crossroads they skidded to a halt. They listened for a hint as to which direction the others had been led in but although the sound of fighting echoed through the tunnels, it was difficult to place.

Zuko glanced back the way they came and pointed down one of the three other corridors. "The palace is that way," He gestured straight ahead. "This way will lead back to the prison. I think those are the most likely directions she'll have taken them in. There are a few misdirects and small rooms off all three. They could have gone either way and Azula could have traps set anywhere," He looked down each corridor in frustration and huffed a heavy sigh. "She's deliberately wasting time until the eclipse is over."

"And we don't know which way to go," Katara confirmed, with a gnawing sense of dread.

Azula could have any number of tricks up her sleeve and if they chose wrong they could end up lost in the tunnels with the only earthbenders in their group separated from them, unable to get out safely.

A crashing sound echoed around the tunnels, accompanied shortly after by the groaning of metal and Katara pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to locate the direction the sound came from. It was so difficult to tell but it _sounded_ like it was coming from the tunnel Zuko had said went to the Palace.

"Let's go this way, maybe Azula's luring them into a trap at the palace," She said, noting his hesitation. "Unless you think it's a different way?"

"No, I have no idea," He stared down the palace corridor with a hard look. "Let's go." His face betrayed his reluctance to go into the palace, but he led her down the twisting tunnels anyway. They had made it about 100 yards when suddenly the ground opened up beneath them.

Without thinking, Katara sent a blast of ice to fix Zuko to the wall, and he reached out to catch her in the same moment. The result was that they smacked into the rocky side of the new hole in the floor.

"Thanks," She gasped and brought up her other hand as Zuko pulled her up towards the edge of the hole. He visibly winced at the shift of weight and, once Katara was safely back on the ground level she turned to help him up. As she was pulling him, the hole began to close again, the hole sealing itself up in quick, darting chunks.

All consideration for Zuko's injuries took a back seat and Katara hauled him up, tearing him from the hole as quickly as she could and bringing him crashing down on top of her as the hole sealed itself completely.

"Thanks," Zuko was breathing hard in her ear, and there was a sharp edge of pain in his voice. Gingerly, Katara put her hands on his sides and rolled them both over so that he had his back on the floor, she could see a clear sheen of sweat covering his brow and he had his eyes squeezed tightly shut, focusing on his breathing.

But she had little time to help him as a rocky column came crashing across at her. This Dai Li agent was more hesitant than the ones they'd faced in the throne room and had clearly never faced a waterbender before. He ignored Zuko on the floor, and send boulders crashing towards Katara instead, which she dodged and deflected as best she could. On the other side of the corridor, Zuko was attempting to get up.

The Dai Li agent looked towards him and made a move to keep him down, but Katara rose up a defensive wall of ice between them, then launched herself at the agent's back, getting too close for him to effectively bend earth at her, and dragged him down to the floor, freezing him down, flat on his back.

The agent's hat had tipped up and Katara could see an angry red scratch across one of his eyes. She stared down at his face and he stared back up at her, looking terrified, but unable to move. Once she had gagged him and was sure he wasn't a threat, she ran to Zuko who had not yet given up on trying to stand but was sweating and gasping in pain, holding himself in a propped up position on the floor.

"What happened?" She demanded, kneeling beside him. Zuko let his head fall back as she moved to support his back.

"I have a few cracked ribs I think," Zuko managed, and Katara pressed a water-gloved hand carefully down his torso, wincing in sympathy as she felt at least three ribs move easily under her hand.

"These are practically broken in half," She hissed and glared at him. "Why have you been running around and fighting on these?"

"I don't think it's _that_ bad," He started but promptly snapped his mouth shut as Katara pressed down on a lower rib in a demonstration. He blanched and glared at her, breathing shallowly so as not to agitate the pain.

Katara was running dangerously low on water, but she sank as much as she could into Zuko's torso. One rib was pressed dangerously tight against his lung, and she focused on that one first, pulling it back into place and bringing the tissue into place around it. Surface wounds were easier and required practically no focus but for injuries this deep, she had to reach deep inside and feel the disrupted liquid in his body.

It was disturbingly similar to bloodbending, though because she was working on a smaller scale she didn't need the boost of the full moon, and she had very little idea if she was doing it correctly but as she progressed, Zuko's breathing evened out and he regained some colour.

Once the ribs were positioned in place, he tried to stand but Katara held him in place, checking the rest of him for serious injury. She found what felt like a deep tissue bruise in one arm. "Why didn't you ask me to heal this for you earlier?" She said quietly, but Zuko was looking down at her hands with a furrowed brow.

"You're running out of water," He looked up at her with a frown. "Are you going to be able to fight?"

"Are you?" Katara challenged, and he sat up a little straighter. His ribs were clearly still tender, still only freshly healed and he sighed.

"I'll survive if we have to fight," He said slowly. "But I'm not at my best," Katara clasped his arm and helped him to his feet. He held onto his midriff tenderly but seemed steady on his feet. He took a deep, tentative breath and huffed it out with a firm nod. "Let's carry on to the palace. I can't hear Aang and the others, but we can't waste time looking for them now. We can at least meet up with the invasion force."

She didn't miss the anger in his face when he admitted that they wouldn't be able to help the others with Azula, but she agreed with his logic. The eclipse was probably already fading, and they could do more for the invasion above ground. She and Zuko headed down the long corridor, turning confidently at the next three junctions until they reached what looked like a dead end.

Zuko took a deep breath and reached into a small alcove behind a wall sconce. He made some hidden movement with his hand and then pushed against the wall to reveal a dark room. He seemed to steel himself and led her into a large, darkened suite. The room they were in had a low table in the middle, with plush cushions around it. Large, elegantly painted wall hangings depicting dragons and spirits adorned the walls, and there was a wide archway that led into what was clearly a bedroom.

It was opulent, well-furnished and very, very eerie. Katara kept her arms firmly to her sides as she followed Zuko into the room and goosebumps prickled across her skin at the strange stillness of the air. It felt as if no one had been inside this room for years; time seemed to still around them, the silence thick and suffocating.

Zuko turned to look back at her with an oddly guarded look and it snapped into place. This was his room. She opened her mouth to say something- to break the tension somehow, but the words didn't come. He glanced to a framed portrait on the dresser and seemed to straighten his back. "Wait here for a moment," He whispered quickly and headed into the bedroom. The room was silent apart from the faint rustle of fabric and the sound of a door opening.

Katara took the opportunity to approach the framed portrait on the dresser and peered at it through the gloom. It was a finely painted portrait of what could only be Zuko's family. Katara leaned closer and smiled at the young prince, sat so straight and proud in his chair. He only looked about five or so years old and he smiled back at her from the painting.

Her eyes skipped to the woman in the photo and picked out the features she shared with Zuko. The small smile perfectly matched that of the two children beside her. With a start, Katara realised this was Azula. Ozai looked pretty much as he always had, but Azula…

There was no smirk, no cruel glint in her eyes. Her wide, golden eyes smiled out at Katara in the same way Zuko's did, and her smile was wider, freer than his. She practically radiated warmth and pure joy.

Feeling sick, Katara backed away and turned, only to see Zuko had reentered the room.

He was stood facing away from her, a little tidier than before, though the shadow of his patchy beard still gave him a rough, dirtier edge, and tying a deep red and gold tunic closed. He shrugged the tunic closed too slowly to hide the yellowing bruises on his chest, and she felt her stomach twist again. "You've changed your clothes," She noted and glanced to the small bag on the low table. "And you've packed."

"It's about sending a message," Zuko nodded to himself as he eyed his reflection critically in an ornate, full-length mirror. She realised with a delayed sense of awe that he was facing the mirror without any visible discomfort. The set of his jaw was determined if strained.

"A message?" Katara asked. "To who?" Zuko opened a drawer and pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a neat, small golden crown. The sight of it made Katara a little queasy, but she focused on his face.

"Azula and… and my father. They don't have the power to tell me what I am anymore, and even the scar he gave me is gone now, thanks to you," He laughed bitterly. "You know that he didn't come to see me when I was imprisoned? Not once."

She hadn't known. Katara watched him glare at his own reflection, and his hands clenched into fists at his side. Almost unconsciously, Katara moved to stand at his side, looking into the mirror with him.

"I am the Prince of the Fire Nation," He met her eyes in the mirror briefly, sending goosebumps up her arms. "And next time I come here, it will be to defeat them and take my rightful place at Uncle's side."

He picked up the crown from its place on the dresser and fixed it in place. Katara watched in awe as he faced his own reflection, piercing eyes staring down his own reflection fearlessly. He looked like he'd already won the throne, in finer clothes than she'd ever seen him wear and with his hair up in that neat golden crown. He looked like a warrior prince, come to retake his country by force.

But then his eyes met hers again in the mirror, and he no longer looked so sure. His brow was low and he met her gaze with a small frown as though he was trying to follow a particularly challenging train of thought. The expression caused a surge of overwhelming fondness to make her heart thud hard against her ribs and it suddenly struck her that the way she was stood at his shoulder was less 'supportive friend' and more like-

"Come on," Zuko said abruptly, turning and breaking the spell. "I can feel the eclipse ending."

They left the room and hurried through abandoned corridors until they reached the main hall where two Water Tribe warriors were guarding a cluster of surrendered soldiers. The effect of Zuko on these men was instant. A few of them blanched as though they'd seen a ghost and several of them dipped their head in respectful bows. Even though they could now hear the sounds of the battle outside, Katara could hear the whispers.

 _It's the Crown Prince…_

 _Wasn't he banished and scarred?_

 _Do you see a scar?_

Zuko looked at them, a little helplessly, but gave a tilt of the head in acknowledgement of their bows.

 _Is he leading a coup?_

 _I saw some Fire Nation Soldiers fighting alongside the Water Tribe…_

She saw from the stiffness of Zuko's shoulders that he heard them too.

 _Is he with the Avatar?_

At the doorway, Zuko turned to look back at them. The eclipse had ended and the roaring of firebending echoed around the city, accompanied by the clashing of swords and the reverberations of earthbenders. The light glinted off his crown as he met each of their eyes.

"Thank you for your service to the Fire Nation," He began. "I hope you will continue to serve it well, in peace as well as war."

Seemingly not sure what else to say to his enemies and countrymen, Zuko turned and led Katara into the sunlight.

.

They emerged to see Aang, Sokka and Toph land at the base of the steps on Appa, frantic with panic. When he saw them, Aang grinned in evident relief, and Sokka ran to grab them both in a bone-crushing hug. "I was _so worried_ you guys, what happened? And what's with the new outfit?"

"We couldn't find where Azula had taken you," Zuko sounded shaky and Katara realised just how much the thought of Azula managing to defeat their friends terrified him too. Katara squeezed Sokka back, hard.

"Zuko got us out- we used one of the tunnels to reach the palace- did you find the Fire Lord?"

"No," Aang's expression darkened. "We didn't make it in time."

"Azula?" Zuko looked faintly sick, as though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"She was tricking us, just killing time until the eclipse was over," Sokka looked up at the gathered invasion force members and shook his head. "We need to get out of here. The invasion has failed," The desperate look on his face broke Katara's heart, and she gave his hand a squeeze. "We need to evacuate."

"We have to get to Dad," Katara realised. Overhead, they could see the rising of airships and war balloons. One of the Water Tribe warriors cursed beside her.

"You kids get out of here- we'll meet you at the docks."

There was no time to argue, they hurried onto Appa and launched into the air. Not for the first time, Katara was intensely grateful for Appa's speed and agility, especially in comparison to the larger, slower war machines. Beneath them, the fight continued and Aang swept Appa low overhead. Sokka clung to the side of the saddle and called out for the invasion force to retreat.

Most listened, some tried to fight on and looking back, Katara could see small pockets of people in green and blue being suppressed and chained as more firebenders joined the soldiers' ranks. It was increasingly clear how outmatched their little invasion force was here, in the heart of the Fire Nation.

She glanced to Zuko who was also watching the defeat on the ground. Reclaiming his crown was an unusually shrewd move for someone who usually acted based on emotion; the reactions of the soldiers in the palace and even his old crew on the ship made her wonder how much support they might be able to nurture within the Fire Nation itself, and how many people even in the capital may be secretly hoping for something other than war and world domination.

They headed to the base of the Caldera, where a gathering of the invasion force could be seen huddling together to shelter from the barrage. "They've got bombs," Sokka realised with slow horror, and Aang stood abruptly with his glider in hand.

"I'm going to go and slow those things down," He said, looking very small and determined as the wind battered him. Sokka nodded and took Appa's reins. "You go meet with the others and make sure they get out okay. I couldn't beat the Firelord today but I can help everyone get out safely."

With that, he launched himself into the air and swept up towards the balloons. Sokka was guiding Appa down and Katara leapt down to where their father was being propped up by Bato. The two tribesmen looked up with relieved smiles when they saw the small group arrive. "How did it go?" Hakoda asked, eyes bright. Sokka stepped forwards with a bitter shake of the head.

"I shouldn't have insisted we go on, Dad," He said painfully, stopping short and shaking his head. "I'm so sorry,"

"Hey, it's ok," Hakoda lurched forwards and pulled him into a hug. "It was a good plan Sokka, it just wasn't our time."

They pulled apart and looked around the gathered group at the edge of the Caldera; battered, tired and defeated. Katara looked up at Aang, fighting the war balloons alone and grit her teeth in determination. "I'm going to help," She flung herself onto Appa and turned to give those on the ground a hard look. "Stay safe."

Toph groaned at that, and sent a rumble of earth at Appa to force him up into the air. "Stop wasting time." She huffed, and Katara rose to meet the Fire Nation fleet above.

She rushed to join Aang, bringing a sizeable bubble of water with her, and slashing at the sides of the war balloons, freezing closed the bomb hatches of the airships and trying desperately to keep the fleet back, away from the harbour.

It never seemed to make a dent. Zuko had been right about the harbour- the main bulk of the Fire Nation forces had clearly been lying in wait for the end of the eclipse, ready to appear in this endless swarm and trap the allies on land where they could be captured.

"There's too many of them," Aang's voice was painful and tight with resignation as he landed heavily on the saddle beside her. "It's really over."

They crashed down to the others, who were watching the airships bombing the harbour with pale, drawn faces. The group had grown, and Iroh had joined them with several Fire Nation soldiers in various states of injury. Zuko was stood with them a little separately from the rest of the group, speaking with them in hurried, low tones. Was it just Katara's mind playing tricks on her, or were there more Fire Nation soldiers here than before?

"The most important thing now is to make sure that the Firelord doesn't capture Aang. You kids must escape," Hakoda said gently. Sokka's reaction was immediate and desperate. He shook his head violently.

"We're not leaving anyone behind!"

"Being a leader means making hard choices," Hakoda said firmly. "There's no way for everyone to escape, and you guys need to continue teaching Aang to become a master of the elements."

"The youngest of our group will come with you," The mechanist agreed. "Many of us have been in Fire Nation prisons before and we'll be okay, but we'll rest easier knowing our children are safe."

It felt like everything was being agreed without them, Katara thought as the adults passed over the children who just hours ago had been fighting the Fire Nation just as hard, just as well as any of the adults. It wasn't right to ask them to leave. After what had been done to Zuko over the course of a couple of weeks… how could she subject her father and friends to that?

As though he was reading her mind, Hakoda gave her a shaky smile. "The rules are different for Prisoners of War, Katara," He said reassuringly. "We will be treated honourably. It won't be pleasant, but we won't be harmed if we're compliant."

"How do you know?" She choked. "How can you know? Look what Azula did to her own brother…"

"We have no other choice, Katara," Bato said. "It's either all of us or some of us."

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Over Hakoda's shoulder, Katara watched Zuko shake his head firmly, and Iroh put a hand on his shoulder before he turned and led the Fire Nation contingent to rejoin the group as a whole.

"Zuko will join you," Iroh began. "I have faith that he can help Aang achieve mastery of firebending," Katara didn't miss the sceptical glare Zuko gave his uncle, but he didn't protest.

"Iroh, you can't stay here," Hakoda said firmly. "The rest of us are normal prisoners of war but you're a defector. All of you," He shook his head at the Fire Nation soldiers. "You've joined our cause only to sign your own death warrants."

"We have lost the battle, not the war," Iroh said sagely. "I'm afraid I am not so noble as to give myself to my brother's mercy so easily. I will take my friends and gather support for the next battle. We have made a great impact today, do not let yourselves be disheartened." His dark eyes glimmered with pride. "We have made the Firelord realise that even his great capital cannot prevent the world's natural return to true balance."

It didn't feel that way, as Aang thanked the gathered allies for their help, and apologised for his failure. It didn't feel that way as Zuko took his turn to thank the Fire Nation soldiers and give his uncle a tight, tearful hug goodbye. It certainly didn't feel that way Katara allowed herself to be bundled onto Appa's back and turned tearfully to watch her father's face fade into the distance.

"Where do we go?" Toph asked no one in particular.

Aang turned to look back at the small, huddled group of refugees. "The Western Air Temple," He said eventually. "I think we'll be safe there for a while."

"Azula will be looking for us at the Air Temples," Zuko said grimly. "I have an idea of where we could go, and I can guarantee Azula and my father would never think of looking for us there."

.

 _Comments and reviews are appreciated! They really help- and I've not caught up to what I've written so far so updates will likely go back to being weekly. I enjoyed writing Zuko's reclaiming of his crown- I'm seeing it as him taking back some control of his own destiny (though he wants for Iroh to take the throne, which I hope came through) and his visibility in the invasion serves as a nice rallying point for the Fire Nation people to see that the propaganda they've been fed may not be accurate._


	12. Somewhere Important

The house at Ember Island was like nothing Katara had seen before. It was secluded, as Zuko had promised, but he hadn't said how _big_ it was going to be. The house was built into the side of a rocky outcrop on the coast with long, winding corridors that seemed to sprawl endlessly out like a very genteel maze. It was disconcerting, being in the holiday home of the Firelord himself. When asked if he was sure they wouldn't be found, Zuko simply said; "No one has been here since my family was actually happy," which was the most depressing thing he could have said, and the rest of them silently agreed to just trust him on this one.

Katara's room was on the west side of the building, on the first floor with views of the gathering sunset over the sparkling azure sea. She couldn't tell who the room might have belonged to if it had been anyone's at all; there were too many rooms for them all to have been claimed by members of the royal family.

She thought Zuko might have claimed his own room, and went to seek him out. She had a strong suspicion that he still had various injuries that were bothering him and now that they had time, she wanted to make sure there wasn't any further damage.

"Can you believe this place?" Teo grinned, wheeling around the corner with Haru and the Duke. He nearly knocked Katara to her back and Haru grabbed her wrist quickly and gave her an apologetic smile. "Who would have thought such a big house would be so _quiet?_ "

"I like it," The Duke grinned devilishly. "We're hiding right under the Firelord's nose."

"Adding insult to injury." Haru agreed before looking back at Katara. "Are you looking for Aang?"

"No, actually," Katara lifted her hand dismissively. "I'm looking for Zuko."

"Zuko?" Haru gave her a searching look, before looking back over his shoulder. "He's not upstairs. I think he was lurking in one of the big rooms downstairs."

"Lurking?" Katara asked, amused, and Teo shrugged.

"I mean, he's a bit… you know…" He glanced around. "... He's very Fire Nation." The Duke nodded in deep understanding and Katara felt her eyebrows lower at the implied insult.

"Zuko has turned his back on his own family to help us," She said with a glare. "He's just as important to the cause as Aang." The younger boys looked a little chastised at her words and looked to each other guiltily but Haru frowned.

"I know you guys have gotten close to him, but you have to remember," He narrowed his eyes a little. "His banishment has taken him out of the line of succession, but our victory guarantees him the crown. He has a lot to gain from being with us- don't think his motives are selfless."

A little stunned at Haru's cold assessment, Katara drew her chin high and planted her hands on her hips. "You have no idea what he wants, or why he joined us," She raised her chin. "We have all suffered through this war. You're not the only one."

Haru looked at her coolly but didn't say anything further. Katara glared at the three of them archly and stalked ahead down the stairs and headed to the main hallway. The walls were adorned with grand tapestries and paintings, depicting great volcanoes and dragons flying over low farmland. The house felt grand and warm, so different to the austere coldness of the capital's palace. She could almost see that beautiful woman from the painting in Zuko's bedroom chasing after her two beautiful children and entertaining a bevy of beautiful guests in this house.

The beginnings of a sunset cast golden shadows along the hallways, and she wondered at the openness of the lower level- the rooms were larger than the more private upstairs areas, and each one seemed to hold a different collection of treasures.

She found Zuko in one of the main reception rooms, it looked like it had once been some sort of study but with low seating for the Firelord to receive important guests and petitions. He was sat by an open window looking down at some scrolls, the sunset caught the edges of the gold embroidery on his tunic and made the crown in his hair flint and flicker.

She paused for a moment, taking in the view. Now that their lives weren't in immediate danger, she allowed herself to enjoy the sight of him- alive, (mostly) unharmed, and here with them. With her. In the rush of the invasion she'd been so focused on surviving and now, here they were. They'd survived.

So why did she still feel like she could die any moment? Her head and heart swarmed with an intense need to feel alive, and she shook her head in an attempt to shake the feeling. "What are you looking at?" She asked softly, and he looked up with tired eyes. The beard was dark and rough, a harsh smear across his jaw, and she itched to scrape it from his face.

Golden eyes turned out to the sea and he rolled the scrolls closed. "Uncle gave me these before we left. A soldier wanted to let us know what my father has been planning."

The exhaustion in his back made Katara smile despite herself; this wasn't a power hungry royal fighting for a throne, but a boy bearing the responsibility of his own birthright as a burden and doing it without complaint. She loved that about him and the fact that the others couldn't see him like this made her sorry for them- they were missing out.

"Can it wait a little while?" She asked and hefted the small washbag. "I'd like to have another go at healing you, and you're in desperate need of a shave… and a bath, come to think of it," She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust and he managed a soft smile.

"It can't wait long," He sighed, but she had crossed the room and was already pulling him up to stand. They headed down a long corridor and Zuko opened a door to reveal a small bathroom. "It used to be the servants' washroom," He explained.

As she prepared the water, Zuko took off his crown and set it carefully beside the sink, letting his hair fall down. She bit back an odd sense of relief as he did so. She had known Zuko was the prince of the Fire Nation, of course. She had objectively known he was royalty. But something had changed when he put on that crown, and when those soldiers had _bowed_ with such sincerity.

He was actually the rightful heir to the throne of the whole Fire Nation. The throne of the very country that for so long she'd viewed only as the enemy. It was a difficult reality to face. The fact it was difficult shamed her. She didn't doubt _him_... He just felt so far away.

The strange longing feeling lessened with his hair down. "Sit down here," she instructed and paused. "And take off your shirt so I can see what else I'm working with."

He obliged with little more than a slight huff of irritation and a muttered jibe about her being controlling. With his hair down he looked much more like _her_ Zuko. Shaking off the thought, she busied herself with healing the deep bruises and lacerations without teasing him any further. When had she started thinking of him as her Zuko?

"You really are a Master waterbender," Zuko said softly as she moved the water over him.

"Weren't you sure?" She settled for saying haughtily, bringing a trail of water back to the sink with a flourish. He watched her with undisguised jealousy.

"No," He said simply. "I knew."

There was something heavy in the air between them- it felt electric, somehow. Katara set about lathering his beard and trying not to meet his eyes. She felt unsure all of a sudden, like she had when Toph had teased their little routine at the hot spring.

Since she'd seen him don that crown, since the Fire Nation soldiers had bowed to him in the palace where he looked like he belonged, it felt like he was slipping from her grasp. The boy was disappearing to give way to the heir. She didn't like it.

"You know Azula was lying, right?" She settled for asking as she tugged the razor up his neck and he let his head fall back as she reached the edge of his jaw.

"Azula always lies," It sounded heavy with repeated use, as though the words came by instinct rather than with any real thought behind them. "About what, specifically?"

"You weren't a 'convenient stopping off point'," Katara said forcefully, tilting his face away and dragging the razor over his cheek. "We didn't know what to do- we tried to wait at the next village in case you managed to escape on your own… we were there for _days_ and it was so horrible not having you there- I'm so sorry. We left you with _her_ and it's all our fault."

Her throat closed and she furiously blinked away tears. Zuko didn't say anything at first, not until she'd finished shaving him and he was drying himself off with an old, tired looking face cloth. Katara could have kicked herself. She felt like he was so far away and here she was, reminding him of all the reasons he had to pull back from them. "You had to leave. I told Sokka to leave if it came down to it. But…" He took a deep breath and the next words were so quiet she had to strain to hear. "I didn't expect to feel like this."

He sounded so lost, so sad. She didn't know what made her do it but she stood in front of him, looking down at him looking up at her and she dipped down to kiss him.

Her hands cupped either side of his face and she pressed her lips to his with an edge of desperation, but after a moment he was pushing her back, away from him and he was looking at her with incredulous, open hurt and it was all wrong.

"What- why would you-?" He trailed off, watching her warily.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, horrified at the tears welling in her eyes. "I didn't mean to."

He stood and held up his hands, eyeing her warily. "No, don't _cry_ Katara-" He made a strangled noise of frustration and dropped his head into his hands. "I'm sorry," With a rush of humiliation, Katara moved to leave but Zuko grabbed her hand, preventing her from getting away. "I know you're trying to just- to make me feel better or something but you don't need to- to…" He shook his head and Katara stared down at him in confusion.

Did he think she kissed him to make him _feel better?_ "That's not-" But the pained expression on his face made her pause, the sentence unfinished. Zuko had been through a lot, and it was selfish of her to try to push something on him that he didn't want. She had taken advantage of the intimacy and closeness they shared. "I'm sorry."

They stood awkwardly, a short distance from each other with matching uncertain expressions. Zuko let her hand drop from his grasp. "No, I am," He said softly. "Anyway, I'm gonna…" He gestured clumsily to the bathtub and Katara flushed.

"Yeah, of course. You get cleaned up," She backed away to the door. "I'll go catch up with the others."

She fled, shame and embarrassment blurring her vision and heating her face. Why had she _done_ that? Well, she knew why she'd done it; she'd thought there was a closeness between them- he'd shared things with her and she'd opened up to him and they'd had all of these… _moments_ together. She'd wanted to keep him close, anchor him to her somehow.

She'd let herself get carried away, read into things that weren't there on his side. She burst outside and fell back against the wall of the house, breathing heavily.

She had to think logically about this; they were in the middle of a war, and realistically she shouldn't be filling her own head with romantic fantasies- it was just like the embarrassing Aunt Wu situation all over again. Also, after the war was over, they were unlikely to even stay in the same country- what was she thinking? He would stay in the Fire Nation and she would return to the South Pole.

There were a thousand reasons Katara shouldn't even entertain the idea of getting involved with him… But here she was. For that brief instant before he'd pushed her away it had felt right, like she was falling into her place in the world. If anything, it had made the small attraction she'd been ignoring (so far) a full blown crush.

But he _had_ pushed her away. She'd forgotten herself, that was all. They were friends, _good_ friends like she and Aang. Katara took a deep breath and resolved to carry on as though nothing had happened. Hopefully Zuko would do the same.

.

The moon's rising boosted her confidence a little, and after spending some time cooling down on the beach, Katara headed back inside to start getting dinner ready. She could remember clearly enough where the kitchen was, thankfully. She could hear a couple of low voices as she approached and found herself faltering.

Aang poked his head out of the doorway and grinned at her. "Katara! I thought you guys could use some help."

Katara willed herself to keep walking and followed Aang back into the kitchen. Zuko already had some basic ingredients sizzling in a large wok and was haphazardly tossing some brightly coloured spices in. Katara repressed a grimace at the sight- without Iroh's guidance on what went well together, she wasn't sure the end result would be quite as good as they'd been able to prepare together on the ship. He glanced up as she entered and quickly looked away, an embarrassed blush spreading over the back of his neck.

Katara felt her own face flame and wrung her hands awkwardly. "Well, it looks like you guys have it covered…"

"Katara!" Aang beamed. "You can help me chop the rest of the vegetables," He tugged her over to the sideboard and stood so she was between him and Zuko, passing her a knife. "I don't think Zuko has any idea what he's doing without your help," He confided with a wink.

She didn't think her face could get any hotter, but Aang misinterpreted the redness of her cheeks and happily fetched her a cup of water.

A sniff. "It might be rice wine."

It was rice wine, and Katara very deliberately put it back down.

Aang happily chatted away as they prepared the meal, oblivious or unwilling to acknowledge the silence of the other two. Once the food was mostly ready, Aang excitedly announced that he would get the others into the main dining room and disappeared with Momo chattering cheerily after him.

Katara snuck a quick glance up at Zuko beside her, only to catch him doing the same. She quickly glanced away before catching herself and turning to face him properly. "How are you doing?"

Zuko let out a low, slow breath and nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. "Better," He said softly. "It's weird being back here."

Katara looked back down, fighting a relieved smile; nothing had to change, he wasn't upset with her or angry at her. "Is it embarrassing being in your old room, staying with all the toys you played with as a kid?" She teased.

Zuko smirked. "I thought Aang would find it more comfortable."

"Oh?" Katara nudged him with her elbow. "You're taking the Firelord's rooms for yourself? Bold move."

Zuko's smile slipped a little but before Katara could ask, Aang appeared back at the door. "Hey, shall I take some plates out?"

"Here," Katara handed him a tray and rummaged in one of the cupboards for some more rice wine and fire whisky. "May as well commiserate in style," She said at Zuko's raised eyebrow.

The mood as they ate and drank that evening was… odd. They all seemed determined to focus on enjoying the night together and not addressing their recent loss to the Fire Nation. Haru and the Duke kept trying to play dice games with Toph, which amuses Sokka to no end.

Teo seemed to be attempting to make friends with Zuko, smiling earnestly as they ate and drank together. Finding the alcohol not at all to his taste, he stuck to the water but Zuko drank relentlessly.

As she sat back and watched her friends enjoy the evening, Katara smiled to herself and idly scratched at Momo's head. She wasn't surprised when Aang approached her, but when he asked to speak with her alone she found herself frowning in confusion.

She stood a little unsteadily, hand tight around her cup of rice wine and Momo leapt to Aang's shoulder. She followed Aang out of the room, trying not to notice the way Zuko's eyes followed them over Teo's shoulder.

"What is it? Are you okay?" The cool night air of the beach was a welcome sensation against her flushed skin, and it brought with it a little more alertness. The rice wine smog cleared a little and she could see now how nervous Aang looked.

He sat down heavily on the sand, back straight, and patted the sand beside him stiffly. "Katara, I have something I want to tell you."

Curious, Katara sat beside him.

The words seemed difficult for Aang to get out, and his eyes skittered away from her, darting over the waves. "Are you in love with Zuko?"

Her heart stuttered. She wasn't sure how to answer that. She tucked her knees up under her chin and looked out to sea with a sigh. "Why do you ask?"

He groaned and let his head fall forwards. "I thought we were meant to be together," he admitted. "I thought I'd defeat the Firelord and save the world and we would be together forever… But I messed up, didn't I?"

"You messed up?" Katara asked, concerned. She put a hand on his shoulder in concern and he rested his own on top of hers.

"When I accepted the Avatar State, and let my earthly attachments go. That's why we're not together."

Katara thought over his words carefully; she didn't think that was why, but she wanted to treat him gently. "Do you regret it?" She asked finally, and Aang sighed.

"No… Wait, yes… No. I'm not sure. What I do regret is… I know that should have used the Avatar State against Azula." He said mournfully. "We were hoping she'd lead us to the Firelord but... she was just toying with us," He scowled and hugged his knees to his chest, looking very young, and very small. "I don't know if being able to access the Avatar state changes anything. We still lost when it counted."

Katara wanted to make it better- perhaps it was just part of her nature to want to _fix_ things for him, but she didn't know how. She couldn't think of the right way to make him feel better about their current situation; her father was imprisoned by the Fire Nation, their friends had followed them into battle and were injured, captured and possibly dead. She didn't know what to say. "You didn't mess it all up," She tried. "We're back to the original plan, right? Master all four elements and defeat the Firelord before the comet comes. You can do it, I know you can."

"And what about us?" Aang asked, and Katara gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"We're still friends," She said gently. "You might have let go your 'earthly attachments' but we'll always be friends. Whatever might have happened isn't worth thinking about- all we can do is make the best of what we have. I think what we have is pretty great, don't you?"

"Yeah, definitely," Aang agreed readily. "I really value our friendship, Katara. It makes me a little jealous, I guess, watching you and Zuko hanging out together, but it's not like it was with Jet." Katara didn't flinch, exactly, when he said Jet's name, but the memory of Jet's death still stung. "I don't know what's wrong with me, I just feel like I've lost a part of myself, you know? Like I don't care as much anymore."

"That's not true," Katara said forcefully. "You do care- remember when we had to leave everyone behind today? You care so much about all of them. You're not _less_ than before, you just understand yourself a little better, and you understand what needs to be done."

"What needs to be done?"

"You have to kill the Firelord."

They looked up to see Sokka approaching with the others, holding one of Zuko's scrolls firmly in hand and with a grim expression on his face. Zuko stood at his side with dark, furious eyes trained directly on Aang's.

"We need to make sure you're ready."

* * *

 _Ok, so we're back on weekly updates now- I've caught up with myself because it's been a big week. I got engaged to my partner of about 5 years so it's all a bit wild! Comments and love are always appreciated! Thank you for reading!_


	13. Important Lessons and Important People

Zuko was training Aang relentlessly. Over the next couple of days, Katara found herself sat with Toph on the side of the fountain in the courtyard as Zuko drilled him again and again of firebending forms, watching as Zuko got increasingly frustrated with both of their lack of progress.

"You're going to kill yourselves," Katara chided as they approached with matching, sullen expressions for a drink of water. "This isn't working." Zuko shot her a dark glare and slumped down beside her, the sweat making his hair stick to his face. Aang bent his own sweat from his body and drank greedily, collapsing to the floor dramatically at Zuko's feet.

Toph chuckled. "Sulky's almost as hard on you as I am, Twinkletoes."

"We need to find a way for you to learn Firebending quicker," Zuko sighed. "We need to find my Uncle. He's a real Firebending Master and should be able to help you with the more spiritual side of it."

"I struggled just as much with Iroh as I do with you," Aang reassured him. "It's not your teaching method that's the problem."

"No," Zuko replied, bitterly. "It's the fact I can't bend."

"Well, the solution seems easy to me," Toph said, sharply. "Don't wallow in self-pity all day, you just need to find the original source of firebending, as I did."

The three of them looked at her. "You found the original source of firebending…?" Aang asked, confused. Zuko cuffed him halfheartedly around the side of the head.

"No, Twinkletoes. I learned my bending from the original earthbenders; the Badgermoles," She recounted how she had gotten lost, running away as a child and how she had learned to tap into her ability to earthbend, honing her ability to feel the world around her through her feet. "So you guys should be able to learn from the original firebenders, right? Who would they be?"

"The dragons?" Aang asked, turning to Zuko with hope in his eyes. "Would it be the dragons? Avatar Roku had a dragon, maybe I could get one too!"

Zuko, however, looked even more despondent than before. "There's just one problem… The dragons are gone," Aang's face fell in stunned dismay. "My Uncle killed the last one years ago."

"Iroh killed…?" Katara couldn't imagine Iroh, who had such immense respect for the spirits and balance of the world, doing such a thing. "He can't have."

"He did," Zuko's eyes glinted. "It was a big thing in the Fire Nation at the time. My Grandfather offered riches and rewards to those who proved their loyalty by killing dragons and my Uncle, the heir to the throne, ensured their total extinction out of devotion to his father."

He leaned heavily on his knees and glared into the distance. Katara watched the way his shoulders tensed, as though bracing himself for blame. All Katara felt was deep sympathy.

Toph, as ever, worded it the best. "I thought it was just you, but everyone in your family has daddy issues, I guess."

"Toph!" Katara gasped, horrified, but Zuko's mouth twisted into a wry smile.

"And we mess up the whole world because of them."

"Well, you've not messed up the _whole world_ yet, Sulky. Give it a chance," Toph flopped back across the low lip of the fountain, laying back with her arms behind her head. "So Gramps killed the last dragon… bummer."

They sat in dejected silence for a few long moments. Katara itched to reach out, put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and reassure him that they'd find another way but she fisted her hands at her sides and held herself back. Suddenly, he sat up, eyes wide and bright. "Wait- the Sun Warriors."

"The who, now?" Aang asked, puzzled.

"The Sun Warriors. They were the first human firebending civilisation," Zuko explained in a breathless rush. "They're long dead, but the ruins still exist, on an island to the north. There might be something there that could help us." He looked down at Aang with a lovely, hopeful smile that made Katara's heart skip. Aang beamed back at him.

"That's a great idea!" He jumped up, his previous exhaustion forgotten. "I knew you'd figure it out!" He tugged Zuko to his feet and clasped his arm in an enthusiastic show of camaraderie. "Let's go, Sifu Hotman."

"Don't call me that," Zuko said reflexively, even as they hurried off together leaving Katara and Toph in the courtyard. Katara found herself watching after them with a smile- it was good to see Zuko revitalised a little. He always seemed happier when there was something clear to work towards.

"Oh, Sugar Queen," Toph laughed and kicked at her side teasingly. "What's happened to _you_?"

"Shut up," Katara muttered, bringing her knees up and hiding her face in embarrassment. She didn't need reminding of her own ridiculous crush, or to be told how silly she was for thinking of romance in the middle of a war. But Toph just grinned and poked her sides until Katara had to stand and walk away, face flaming.

.

Sokka was bored. Katara understood, but the fact that he kept announcing his boredom was beginning to wear on her. He sat down heavily beside her and sighed dramatically. "There's just nothing to _do_ here," He moaned.

"There's plenty to do," She reminded him. "You could train with Toph and Haru, or help me with this laundry," He wrinkled his nose and she tossed a sock at his face.

"Warriors don't do laundry," He said, snootily.

Katara threw another sock, and it landed on his nose. "I'm a Master Waterbender and I'm doing laundry. I also do the cooking, cleaning and healing. What do you do?"

He peeled the sock from his face and frowned. "I am a warrior and a strategist. If I get too bogged down with the day-to-day I won't see the bigger picture."

"Oh yeah?" Katara smirked. "What's the bigger picture?" Sokka didn't respond. He just flounced back and lay in the dust of the courtyard. Katara worked through the laundry in amicable silence. She wondered whether Zuko and Aang had found anything at the ruins yet. They hadn't said how long their trip would take but the house felt a lot lonelier without them.

"When Zuko and Aang get back I want to find a way to get Dad out of prison," Sokka announced from the floor and Katara paused. "It's my fault he's in there- if we'd retreated when Zuko told us to, everyone would have gotten away safely."

"Maybe," Katara acknowledged. "Do you know where he's being held?"

"No," Sokka admitted. "But Zuko might have an idea."

"If you're organising a jailbreak, I'm in," Haru said, and Katara looked up in surprise. She hadn't heard him coming. The young earthbender shot Sokka a quick grin. "My dad's imprisoned too, and I could do with a good fight."

Sokka heaved himself into a sitting position and pointed, accusingly. "It's bad manners to eavesdrop," He criticised and Katara rolled her eyes. "But sure, you can tag along."

"You don't even know where you're going to be breaking them out of," Katara reminded them. "What if it's some sort of super-high-security volcano prison and they're in the middle of a boiling lake?" The boys exchanged a look. "I want Dad back as much as you do but-"

"I'm a _strategist_ ," Sokka insisted. "We can _plan_ our way out," Katara smiled in spite of herself. "Also, maybe the guards will switch sides like those soldiers did- make our lives a little easier."

Haru laughed and agreed. "Why not, right? Or maybe Katara can inspire some sort of mass uprising and the prisoners will rescue themselves again," He sent Katara a wink, and she rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"I hope they come back soon," Sokka sighed. "Otherwise I may die of boredom."

Conversation turned back to Aang and Zuko, with Sokka listing all the ways he'd have to mess with Zuko to make up for time lost. "If he still hasn't got his bending back when he returns," Sokka grinned devilishly. "I'll just have to find a way to make him angry enough to tap into that 'inner fire' again." He poked the air in demonstration.

"You'll do no such thing," Katara chided. "I can't imagine how awful it would be to suddenly lose my bending. If this trip doesn't work then we'll support Zuko as best we can."

"Buzzkill," Sokka complained.

"You just like the brooding type," Haru scoffed, and Katara flushed.

Sokka burst into open laughter. "Imagine that- Katara and Zuko!" He clutched at his sides and laughed heartily. "You crack me up, Haru."

Katara didn't find it so funny. She hoisted the folded laundry and stormed back inside, resolving never to ever let Sokka know that yes, actually, she had been imagining that.

.

"They're back!"

Katara's head whipped up at Teo's excited shout, and ran out to the courtyard,where Appa was descending with Aang and Zuko on his back. As they landed, Aang leapt from Appa's back with a wide, beaming grin and immediately showed off a quick firebending form that resulted in a great burst of flame.

Eyes wide, she looked up to where Zuko was sat, still on Appa's back. He was watching Aang with a relaxed, proud smile, then he looked up to meet her eyes and her breath caught. His whole face seemed to glow with barely suppressed joy. His eyes danced and burned with it, the small smile on his face was self-assured, confident, and not at all like the other smiles she'd seen on him. Whatever the boys had found, it had relieved much of Zuko's invisible burdens.

"Come on, Zuko," Aang called, and Zuko looked back to the younger boy. "Show them!"

With a flash of a grin, a real, open grin, Zuko jumped down to Aang and did a quick, leaping movement that sent a torrent of fire up, into the sky. Katara grinned and Sokka whopped in appreciation. It was more fire than he'd been able to produce in their company before, and perhaps more than he'd ever managed in his life, if the look on his own face was anything to go by.

Iroh would be so proud.

She couldn't really stop herself from running over and gripping him tightly in a celebratory hug, and he laughed with relief, squeezing her back. Aang threw his arms around both of them and soon if felt like everyone was laughing and hugging each other in giddy happiness.

They all sat in the courtyard and listened to how Zuko and Aang had discovered the still-living Sun Warriors, hidden away in the ruins of their ancient civilisation, and how they were protecting the last dragons. "So Gramps didn't kill the last dragon," Toph said with a grin.

Zuko nodded. "He did visit them, but he passed the Sun Warriors' test and protected their secret."

"Sneaky old man," Sokka grinned without malice. He was right, Iroh had single-handedly ensured no one would seek out the dragons and hunt them down, because who would dare go against the claims of the crown prince to the Fire Nation at the time?

"It was amazing," Aang smiled dreamily. "And it feels so great to be able to firebend properly, at last."

"Yeah," Zuko agreed, looking down at his hands with a matching smile. "And it's so much stronger than before."

"Fire is life," Katara said quietly and Zuko looked at her with such open warmth that it made her stomach flip. Well, okay, it definitely wasn't the brooding that did it for her then, no matter what Haru thought.

Seeing Zuko so happy, so obviously proud and excited was wonderful. She was caught up in it, in his open happiness and couldn't resist grinning back at him. Her heart thudded hard and she knew she was in real trouble now.

The smirk on Toph's face confirmed it.

"Come on," Aang urged Zuko, who broke eye contact with Katara and turned to look down at the younger boy. "Let's show them the forms."

Still buoyed with excitement, Zuko jumped up and moved to stand with Aang a short distance away. They moved in perfect unison, from form to form in a wide, circling dance. The movements clearly held a weighty significance; every move they made was deliberate and filled with the typical, abrupt purpose that firebending forms had.

When they finished, Sokka made an offhand remark about learning to dance which left the boys suitably embarrassed and broke the strange spell the dance had cast. Katara wondered who the original waterbenders might have been, and what she could learn from them if she found them. "... Anyway," Sokka went on with a more solemn expression," I have an idea of how we can give your firebending some good exercise."

At the tone of his voice, the others sobered. Sokka explained his desire to find where their father was being imprisoned and launch a rescue attempt. Zuko paused and looked out to sea. "I can't be sure where they'd be…" He began. "But I don't think Azula would keep them in the Capital after you were able to break me out of there. They _might_ be taken to Boiling Rock, if my Father thought they were high-risk enough."

"Boiling Rock?" Toph grimaced. "No thanks."

"It's a maximum security prison within a boiling lake on one of the Fire Nation's volcanic islands," Zuko explained. "The only way in or out is by a single cable car. Getting in or out, unseen, is designed to be impossible."

"Well the way I see it," Sokka grinned. "We have four elements on our side,and no one is going to be prepared for _that_."

The idea was tempting. So tempting. Katara looked around at their small group and thought of the people they'd lost. If there was a real chance of rescuing them, shouldn't they do it? Her eyes fell on Aang, who looked so determined and so young, and she shook her head. "Not four," She asserted, and Sokka looked to her in shock. "We can't risk Aang coming."

"What?" Aang protested. "I'm the reason they're imprisoned in the first place! If I had won on the day of the eclipse then-"

"If you get captured then who will defeat the Firelord?" Zuko challenged. "Besides, our best chance of success will be using stealth."

Sokka nodded "So we keep the group small."

"Well, I'm coming. A lake of boiling water?" Katara grinned. "Sounds like a good challenge to me."

Zuko glanced between them in determination. "I could do with an excuse to try out my firebending in combat."

"I'll come too," Haru said with a firm nod. "If my dad's there I want to get him out."

"No more than that, then," Sokka held up his hand when Toph opened her mouth to protest. "You need to help Aang with his earthbending while we're gone, and keep the others in line, okay?" Toph was _not_ okay with it, but after much furore eventually agreed to stay back.

The shift in mood made Katara skittish. She might be able to see her dad again soon- the thought was overwhelming. She wasn't sure what exactly Sokka and Zuko were planning, but she found them in the Firelord's study, flicking through old papers.

"Sorry," Zuko sighed. "I thought there might be more useful information here."

"It's alright," Sokka glanced up. "Oh, hey Katara. We were just looking to see if there were any maps of the prison, but I guess even the Firelord isn't conceited enough to leave prison maps laying around," He waved a dismissive hand and rolled his eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" Katara asked and the boys nodded. They headed outside and found Haru working through some earthbending moves. He flashed them a quick, determined smile as they emerged and they went in silence to where Appa was grazing in the stables.

Aang was giving him a good brushing down, and looked up at them with wide, hurt eyes as they approached. "I can't believe you're leaving me behind. I can access the Avatar state- we could free the entire prison!"

"Not everyone there is innocent," Zuko tried to reason. "And we don't want to risk being followed back here. Azula was only unable to pursue us before because her fleet couldn't keep up and they had to stabilise the city, but they would be able to figure out we were still in the Fire Nation if they know you're with us. As it is, we're just rebels."

"I know it's hard, Aang," Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "But this is the safest way."

"Safest for who?" Aang challenged. "Because it isn't for you."

"Yes, you're right. It's safest for you," Zuko threw the bags onto Appa's back and they all climbed up. Though he didn't try to stop them, Aang remained close by, watching them with a furrowed brow. "You're the Avatar, Aang. That comes with a lot more responsibility and it's time you understood that. You need to train with Toph and prepare yourself for killing the Firelord."

Aang flinched at his words, and looked away. Appa lurched and launched into the air, but Aang didn't look back up at them to watch them leave.

"He'll be alright," Haru said. "He'll see this makes sense."

"I hope so," Katara muttered. Aang wasn't the type to hold grudges, but he did struggle to see the ramifications of his own actions. He had a history of running away from responsibility and she wasn't convinced he would see that they had to be careful where he was spotted.

She caught Sokka's eye and saw he was thinking along similar lines. "As long as he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Evading Azula won't be the same as you guys keeping ahead of me," Zuko warned from his place on Appa's head. "She has the whole Fire Nation army behind her."

"Evading you wasn't exactly easy," Sokka barked a laugh. "Everywhere we went you'd show up eventually."

Zuko glanced back. "Sorry," he muttered.

The journey was long and tense. Katara and Sokka kept finding themselves drumming their fingers or twitching their legs in anxious excitement. Haru laughed and found it amusing how similar the siblings could be. Sokka flashed a quick smile. "Eh, there are worse people to be like."

"Speak for yourself," Katara teased. Zuko brought Appa down a distance away from the actual prison at a makeshift campsite on a small rocky island off the main one, just about in sight of the volcano. "Why are we stopping here?" Katara whispered. "This is pretty far from the prison."

"It's safest for Appa," Zuko explained. "There aren't exactly any stables for him on the island and he's more recognisable than any of us. Sorry, buddy." He gave the back of Appa's head a scratch.

Sokka was already on the ground. "We'll head to the prison on foot tonight. We won't be able to sneak in once the sun is up."

Once they'd ensured Appa had plenty of food and water, Katara formed an ice raft and propelled them across the sea to the volcano. It loomed high and dark against the night sky, a craggy, ominous wart erupting up from the stillness of the ocean. This was what happened when fiery lava met water- it hardened into these dark islands.

"So, what's the plan?" Haru asked as they trudged up to the lip of the volcano crater. "Are we all dressing up as guards?"

"Too many of us," Sokka sighed. "That many missing uniforms would cause a disturbance. Zuko, Haru, would you guys be ok as prisoners? I can figure out the layout of the prison and you guys can be our men of the ground with the other prisoners."

"Uh- why aren't I an option as a prisoner?" Katara asked defiantly. "I've been in a Fire Nation prison before, I can handle myself…"

"That was a prison for rebels, not criminals," Sokka pointed out. "It's totally different."

Zuko nodded. "Besides, they're more likely to notice that you're a waterbender if you're a prisoner as they'll be watching the prisoners more closely.," His eyes darkened. "You're too obviously Water Tribe and it might raise suspicion."

The pang of protest was still there, but Katara had to admit she saw the logic in the proposed split. Haru nodded too. "If they find out I'm an earthbender it isn't quite so suspicious," He reasoned. "There's a lot more earthbenders than waterbenders in Fire Nation prisons."

Katara didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed a little at Zuko as he said this, and tried to suppress the concern she had, pairing these two up together. Zuko raised a hand to quiet the group as they reached the top and peeked over the edge.

"Go now," He told them, "But lay low. The docking station for the gondola is the other side but there ware watchtowers at each corner of the prison."

Katara followed Haru and kept low to the ground as she scrambled down the steep cliff face. At one point her foot slipped and she gasped as she careened towards the boiling water but Haru launched out a small platform just in time, preventing her from landing in the scalding water. "Thanks," She smiled wanly, as the others slipped down beside her on the platform. "That could have been nasty."

"You should be more careful," Zuko whispered in a hiss, and Katara's eyebrows furrowed at the implication. She _had_ been careful! But then she saw the panic in his pale face, and her expression softened. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She reassured him, gripping his arm with a smile. "But I won't be able to create an ice float on this…" The air here was thick with steam, and her hair was sticking to her face and neck in the most uncomfortable way. Haru wasn't faring much better, with his loose long hair. She cast her eyes over Sokka and Zuko with a twinge of jealousy. Sokka's hair was up in his wolf tail, and Zuko didn't seem fazed at all buy the damp, sticky heat even though his normally straight hair stuck to his brow in damp, sticky curls.

"Katara, would you be able to push this platform across if I detach it from the side?" Haru checked, and Katara nodded in determination. She focused on forcing the water current to stabilise and run smoothly before nodding to Haru to release them from the side of the crater.

It was tricky, trying not to rock the platform too much, but she focused on keeping her movements smooth. The movement of the boiling water had to be counteracted and she tried to push the simmering out to the sides to keep the platform stable but she heard quiet gasps as it splashed up nevertheless.

When they docked and were able to scramble onto solid ground, they all breathed a sigh of relief. "Good job," Zuko breathed. "That was tense."

Sokka was rubbing a spot on his exposed arm with a pout. "Yeah, all this bending comes in handy, although Haru, maybe next time you build sides on your little raft?"

"I'll bear that in mind," Haru sighed, also rubbing a couple of pink spots on his skin. Exasperated, Katara pulled some of the water from the lake and let it cool before using it to heal the burns.

"Boys are such babies."

.

Passing as a guard wasn't as difficult as Katara had feared; she had seen how the soldiers interacted and with the armour on, no one looked at her too closely. She was small compared with the others, and her insistence on keeping her helmet on drew some gentle teasing from the other guards, but on the whole, it seemed like everyone was just keeping their heads down and doing their jobs as best they could.

It was a vast difference to what she'd expected; these were the hardest criminals in the Fire Nation and she'd been expecting the guards to be vicious bullies. There were one or two who seemed to enjoy inflicting pain and punishments on the prisoners, but they appeared to be in the minority.

"He just goes for Chit Sang because he's the largest prisoner, and he's got something to prove to the warden, I guess," A female guard sighed to her, complaining about some altercation that had happened previously between a guard and a prisoner. "He's a real brown noser, if you get my drift."

Katara exchanged a roll of the eyes with her. She reminded Katara a little of Kei. They were in the queue for food in the lounge, with Sokka behind them. "Men can be so fragile," Katara smirked and the female guard laughed.

"You know, you don't need to wear your helmet in the guards' section," The guard threw her a raised eyebrow. "The rules aren't that strict."

Katara wasn't sure that her blue eyes and brown skin wouldn't attract unnecessary attention, even if they were paired with the armour of the Fire Nation. There was a mix of skin tones and features here, but she also couldn't escape the fact that she looked her age, and even the Fire Nation didn't hire 14-year-old prison guards. "Oh, I'm alright. Just grabbing a quick lunch…" She said with a nervous laugh.

The guard glanced behind her to Sokka. "Both of you guys are newbies, huh? From the colonies, I'll bet. Don't worry- it's not that hard a job here. The lake does most of the work, and there's always the cooler for the really difficult prisoners."

"The cooler?" Sokka asked, and the guard frowned.

"Jeez, they're really rushing orientation these days. It's the solitary cells on the third floor- they're refrigerated so they can be a real pain for firebenders, especially- oh, where are my manners. I'm Kazue, by the way," She extended a hand, and they each shook it in turn. "You guys?"

"Lee," Sokka said quickly. "This is my sister, "Jee. We're from the colonies."

"Sure," Kazue wasn't paying that much attention. "Look, I've worked here for five years, alright? Best thing to do is just keep your head down and do as you're told. It's better working in this hell hole than the army, I promise you that."

"You worked in the army?" Katara asked. "Are you a firebender?"

"Nah," She waved a hand. "You guys?" They shook their heads. "I was in the army something like six years. At least here I can make trips home when I have time off."

Katara made a noise of understanding. "Do you have any other benders here?"

"Eh, a couple of earthbenders," The guard led them to a table against the wall. "To be honest, it's mostly non-benders. Benders get imprisoned more than non-benders now that Firelord Ozai has said they can do active service in the war instead of prison time. It's a pain because firebending soldiers can basically just do whatever they want."

"Any waterbenders? Or from the Water Tribes?" Sokka prodded and the guard chewed her jerky thoughtfully.

"Nah, I don't think so," she said. "But there's another new load of prisoners coming soon, and it's meant to have some sort of rebellion leaders in it. Might have something more exotic in that load."

Katara stood. "It was great to meet you Kazue. Thanks for your help. We have to go for our rounds but we'll catch up soon."

Kazue gave a shrug and continued to eat her food slowly, appearing to enjoy dragging out her lunch break for as long as possible. Sokka and Katara headed out to one of the balconies that overlooked the courtyard, checking for any eavesdroppers before sagging against the wall in frustration. "I can't believe this was all for nothing," Sokka groaned. "I'm such an idiot."

"We had to try," Katara shook her head. "It was the best lead we had, and Dad might be in this next batch of prisoners- it will be worth waiting to see," Katara looked out at the courtyard, where Zuko was leaning against a wall. He reminded her a little of how he'd looked after they'd rescued him from his sister, and she shuddered at the thought. What if he was having flashbacks? They hadn't considered how he might feel locked in a prison with his own experience still so fresh in all their memories.

The look on his face was painfully guarded, and his eyes flickered over the courtyard restlessly, looking for the slightest threat. "Haru's made friends," Sokka noted, and Katara glanced away from Zuko to where Haru appeared to have ingratiated himself with a group of what looked like Earth Kingdom citizens.

"So he has," She said mildly, looking back to Zuko. He wasn't looking around anymore- his eyes had fixed on a girl with light brown hair too- she looked incredibly anxious, wringing her hands and looking around the prison. She lurched forwards and gripped the railings in surprise. "That's-"

"It's Suki!" Sokka cried, and Katara looked to where he was pointing. Sure enough, Suki was sat on a rock in the middle of the courtyard in the pale red prison uniform.

He gawped at her with such open adoration that Katara couldn't help grinning. "That's great!" She enthused. But when she turned back to look for the girl she'd spotted earlier, she frowned in concern. Both the girl and Zuko were gone.

.

Whilst Sokka headed to Suki's cell to reveal their presence in the prison, Katara headed out to find Zuko.

The prison was a boxy tower of cells arranged over several floors on a repeatoing mezzanine pattern up to the roof, where the warden's office was. She and Sokka mostly patrolled together, and they found a couple of empty cells for Zuko and Haru to take as their own on the fourth floor. It seemed like the guards trusted the system enough not to question any new additions, or they simply didn't care enough.

She made her way to the cell after lights out, and let herself in. Zuko was sat upright on the bed, waiting for her. "Hey," Shee whispered, and moved to sit beside him on the bed, finally removing her helmet.

"How's the job treating you?" He asked and despite the teasing tone, Katara could hear the tight concern in his voice. "Are you and Sokka okay?"

"We're fine, the guards here are mostly just doing their jobs and avoiding the front lines from what I can tell," She reassured him, reaching to hold his hand in the darkness. "Are you okay?"

He let out a long breath. "I'm a bit on edge," He admitted and although he didn't really hold her hand back, he didn't pull away either. Katara was glad. "Mai and Ty Lee are here."

"Mai, too?" Katara blinked. She felt him stiffen beside her. "I saw Ty Lee earlier in the courtyard. How did they end up here?"

"They betrayed Azula, and apparently it was for me," Zuko sighed and she heard his head thud against the cell wall. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed, the gesture was too intimate, she knew, but she couldn't help herself. The darkness made her a little bolder.

"They said that?"

"Ty Lee did. Azula punished them for not fighting us hard enough," Zuko's head knocked against the wall again. "Ty Lee seems to think Mai is in love with me."

"Oh," Katara breathed. She'd suspected Mai had a crush from what the girls had said to each other in Fountain City, and the thought that they might have gone against Azula for Zuko's sake made her see them both in a different light. It also gave her an unexpected pang of jealousy.

"Mai's uncle is the warden, so he's pulled some strings and she'd on the top level of the prison, out of the general population…" Zuko didn't seem sure how to continue. "I know it's not part of the plan, but-"

"You want to get them out too," The words came out colder than intended, and Katara was surprised at herself.

Zuko stiffened and pulled out of her grasp. "I can't leave them behind, not if they went against Azula for my sake."

"No, of course," Katara said quickly. "I didn't mean that. But- are you sure we can trust them? That it's not some trick…?"

"No," Zuko shifted and in the dim light, she could see him sit upright, hunched over his knees. "I'm not. When we were younger, I didn't- uh, I didn't have friends. Ty Lee and Mai were the only kids anywhere near my age that I interacted with, other than Azula, and they were… I mean, they weren't _my_ friends but-"

Katara put out her hand to rest on his shoulder again, and he seemed to relax at her touch this time. "It's okay," She said, and he turned to look back at her. "If they're on our side, then that can only be a good thing. Of course, we'll help them."

She wasn't sure if this was a huge mistake, but the last time she'd taken a chance on an enemy it had worked out pretty well and she'd rather be the sort of person that took those chances, than the sort of person who left potential allies to the mercy of Azula.

Because if Mai and Ty Lee really had changed sides, then Azula definitely would take it personally, and Katara had seen how she treated prisoners she had personal attachments to.

Zuko's hand crept to rest on top of hers on his shoulder and she leaned forward, feeling daring, to rest her cheek on it. "Thanks, Katara," Zuko whispered into her hair and Katara closed her eyes, relishing the closeness.

Their trip to Boiling Rock had become a lot more complicated, but she had hope. There was still a chance to rescue some allies. Besides, if what Kazue had said was true, then there was a possibility of her Father coming in with the fresh batch of prisoners soon.

That was worth waiting for.


	14. The Importance of a BackUp Plan

The modified plan forced Katara up to the upper levels of the prison, and none of the cells she found held Mai. She had to make quick excuses multiple times when different guards caught her and she was beginning to despair when she reached the Warden's quarters.

She had promised Zuko she'd look for Mai, and Ty Lee had told him the Warden was Mai's uncle, so maybe she'd find a clue in there. The room was locked, and no one answered her knock so, after a quick check for any witnesses, she managed to pick the lock and sneak in.

The Warden's suite was comprised of several rooms, as far as she could tell. This first room was something of a study, but there were three further doors going on to other rooms. She moved to the desk and began to rummage for a prisoner log. In the process of searching, she removed her helmet to see better.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here." She whirled at the voice and her eyes widened at the sight of Mai stood with her hand on the now-open door to one of the ante-chambers.

"Mai!" She froze; her every instinct told her to reach for water and defend herself, and the narrow tawny eyes fixed on her with equal suspicion. "Um… Zuko sent me," She said hesitantly.

"Zuko's here?" She didn't miss Mai's wide-eyed flinch at Zuko's name, and the way she couldn't stop her eyes going over Katara's shoulder, as though looking for him.

 _You and me both_ , Katara thought wryly.

"So?" Mai asked coolly, recovering. "What's that meant to mean to me?"

Mai certainly wasn't dressed like the other prisoners. The sight made her pause; if Mai was truly being held here as a prisoner, why did she seem to have so much freedom? But then she picked up on the dark shadows under Mai's eyes and the sickly pallor of her skin. "I'm here to rescue you, I guess."

In a not-totally-unexpected turn of events, Mai rolled her eyes and went back into her room.

"Hey-" Katara hissed, grabbing her helmet and following Mai into the room. "Aren't you listening?" She paused once inside the room. It was… pretty miserable. It looked like Mai wasn't being let out of the Warden's quarters at all, and her room was messy from lack of care. "What's happened here?"

"Nothing," Mai said shortly. "This is just my cell. My Uncle doesn't want me mixing with the other prisoners."

Katara stared at Mai in wide-eyed horror. "So you never go outside?" The weak glare Mai shot her answered her question. "Mai, we're organising an escape, and we're going to take you with us. You helped us get Zuko out and we're going to return the favour…" She took a step closer. "You don't have to join us if you don't want to… Afterwards, I mean… But we're going to take Azula down. And you don't seem like the sort of person to let her get away with locking you up."

As she spoke, she advanced on Mai, who stood her ground with those narrowed, furious eyes. She didn't say anything, and Katara realised there wasn't much more she could do right now. She couldn't take Mai anywhere until the rest of the plan was in place.

"I'll be back for you, Mai," She said quietly. "When we're ready to leave, we'll be taking you with us."

Mai didn't say anything, she just watched as Katara put her helmet on, and left. Once free from the stifling, stale air of the Warden's quarters, Katara hurried down to the lower levels, determined to find the others. She nearly didn't notice a guard in her way and barrelled right into the older guard as she reached the second floor.

"Hey watch it- oh, Jee. That's your name, right?"

"Right!" Katara bowed her head to the other guard who she realised must be Kazue, though it was harder to tell with the helmet on. "Sorry, I was in a hurry… Quick toilet break, you know?"

Kazue chuckled and slapped Katara's back. "You'll learn when to drink and when not to, don't worry. Although the Warden's not been himself lately, so make sure you don't slack off too much, newbie," She sauntered off with a quick wave. Beneath them, Katara could see Zuko, Suki and Ty Lee mopping the floors on the ground floor level. Sokka and Haru were nowhere to be seen.

She gave them a brief nod as she moved to stand guard with her arms folded. "I found Mai," She whispered lowly as Zuko passed, and he nodded tightly. "She'd alright- her Uncle is keeping her separate to the general population in his quarters."

He seemed to relax when she confirmed Mai's safety, and she ignored the pang of envy as best she could. "So, what next?"

"We can't get her out until the last minute, or else the Warden will notice-" Katara trailed off as Sokka came into view and stood beside her.

"Oh, nice to see you've all found each other," Sokka smiled.

Suki's eyes slid to Zuko. "Actually, we met a long time ago..." Zuko blinked in surprise, and Ty Lee shrugged with a cheerful grin. Katara grimaced at the memory of when Zuko had burned down Kyoshi village with his soldiers. It was difficult to reconcile the Zuko she'd come to know with the angry, rash teen who had chased them across the world, leaving destruction in his wake. "... You kind of burned down my village."

"Oh…" Zuko paused, not daring to look up. "Sorry about that," He coloured and seemed to stumble over what to say. "Nice to see you again."

Suki's lips quirked at the awkwardness of his response. "I'm sorry too," Ty Lee rushed to say, and Katara blinked at the wideness of her eyes. "I know I did a lot that hurt you guys, but if Mai wants to help you then I will too."

"Wow," Suki said, dryly. "What a change of heart."

Katara privately agreed; Ty Lee reminded her of a leaf in the wind, moved by whatever outside forces were at play, and unconcerned by the bigger picture or morals. She did what her friends asked of her, and today she was following Mai, but tomorrow she could side with Azula. Suki met her eyes and Katara shrugged. Now that Ty Lee knew they were here, it was more beneficial to have her on their side than not.

Hopefully, Mai's motivations were more reliable. Unwillingly, Katara looked to Zuko- what were his feelings about the situation? If Mai's motivations were based on following him, then did that mean he was honour-bound to her for the sake of the revolution? He was looking down and gripping the mop tightly at Ty Lee's words., possibly thinking along similar lines.

They filled Sokka in on Katara's discovery of Mai and began to plot the best course of action for their escape. When Haru finally joined them, he looked crestfallen- he'd been unable to find any news of his father. "He may be coming in with the next batch of prisoners," Katara tried to reassure him, and he smiled grimly.

"There are other earthbenders here… I want to try and bust them out too when its time."

Sokka's expression twisted. "This is going to be a bigger group than expected," He muttered dryly, and Haru raised an eyebrow.

"We lost a lot of allies on the day of the eclipse," He said forcefully. "Don't tell me we don't need more."

Sokka held up his hands to placate him. "Of course, we just need to revise our exit strategy," He laughed weakly. "We'll figure it out."

Katara could see his point- she'd struggled to propel them properly across the lake when it was just the four of them, but now those numbers would be more than doubled and she wasn't sure she'd be quick enough to evade the attacks from the prison guards.

She resolved to discuss it with Zuko privately, that night, whilst Sokka visited Suki again.

This time he wasn't sitting in the dark, but lying back on the bed, sending tiny dancing flames into the air, forming them into vague shapes.

"I didn't know you could do that," She said softly as the door clicked closed behind her. The room was plunged into darkness as he jerked in surprise, clearly taken unawares by her entry. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

After a moment, a vague fish made of fire burst to life in the air between his hands. "It's a meditative technique Uncle taught me," He explained as the fish flickered in and out of shape, swimming through the air above him. "Some firebenders can create complicated creatures in the air and move them like puppets."

The mention of puppetry made Katara's skin prickle, but she shook away thoughts of Hama for more pleasant ones. "I've seen it before, at a festival. An entertainer made a dragon that flew over the crowd," The fish darted around her head as she removed her helmet. His face was peaceful as the fish swam back to him and morphed into a long, loose dragon (or perhaps a snake- he really wasn't actually very good at holding a recognisable shape), lazily twirling through the air and coiling around his wrist. "How are you doing?"

He sighed. "I don't know," He admitted, sitting up and holding a small flame in his palm. "What Ty Lee said… uh, it took me by surprise."

"About Mai?"

His face twisted painfully. "When you saw her, did she seem… uh… Did she happen to say whether..."

"Zuko," Katara asked seriously. "Are you asking me, the girl who kissed you only a few days ago, if Mai is in love with you?" Her face flamed as she said the words, as did Zuko's.

He groaned and smacked a hand over his face. "But you didn't- I mean it wasn't a _real_ \- argh." He slumped over his knees, and the sight would have been funny if Katara's heart didn't feel so bruised.

"Do you love her?" Katara asked, and the visible skin on his face flushed even darker.

It took him a little while to answer, as though he was trying to find the words to explain himself. "No… but-"

"Look, Zuko," Katara said with a sigh. "You don't owe it to anyone to be _in love_ with them just because they have feelings for you," She sat down beside him on the bed. "Mai changed sides because she loved you more than Azula, but that was her choice to make- you didn't force it on her. It's not a smear on your honour if you don't… you know… end up together."

Zuko sat in silence, letting her words sink in and she took a deep breath.

"It's the same as with me. You don't owe me anything for healing your face- I did it because I wanted to, and… I'm glad you joined us but I hope it wasn't because you felt like you owed me a debt."

He took a long time to answer. "I think that was why, at first… but I'm glad I joined you guys. For so long, all I was looking for was my Father's approval... but I don't think it's possible, for me. I never saw him, not even once, after he burned my face. He never visited me, or sent a letter, or acknowledged me at all." He was shaking as he spoke, but Katara couldn't move. She was holding her breath.

This was it, the big secret she'd avoided asking about when Zuko and Iroh first joined them, the scars Iroh had spoken of that sat deep below Zuko's skin. "The Firelord was the one who did that to you? Your father?"

Because who could- _who would dare_ burn the Crown Prince, but his Father? Zuko looked away.

"I spoke out of turn against a plan at a war meeting..." Zuko began. "There was a plan put forward by a senior general that would have meant sacrificing innocent lives…"

As he told the story in awkward, halting pieces, Katara stared at his face. She didn't think he'd told anyone this before, he frequently stumbled over the words, and the open hurt in his face was heartbreaking. She couldn't imagine a father doing what the Firelord had done, but she was beginning to understand where Azula's particular brand of viciousness had come from.

His hands trembled so much that the fire went out completely, and he spoke about how the healers hadn't been let in to see him until his Uncle had begged to accompany him on his banishment, and called on some navy medics to help prevent the wound from damaging his eyesight too badly. "The Fire Nation is very, _very_ good at healing burns," He explained. "But too much valuable time was lost."

And he told her about how Lieutenant Jee, who was too low ranking to have heard the full story, had agreed to let Iroh and Zuko use the ship. It had only ever been an errand ship before, barely worth anything to the army, and Jee's crew had, at first, thought it a great honour that the Dragon of the West and the Crown Prince were joining them. They had soon learned the truth.

"I'm so sorry, Zuko."

"I don't need your pity," Zuko snapped immediately, and Katara stilled.

The emotions were too raw, but Katara didn't want to just leave him alone with these open wounds. "I'm not pitying you," She said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, and I'm sorry your family were so awful, but I'm glad you're with us now."

"Not my whole family," Zuko whispered. "My Uncle was more of a father to me than my own father ever was. His son, Lu-Ten, was kind and honourable… Even Azula and my father were… nice, once." And in the darkness, he told her of summers at the beach, when his father was just third in line to be Firelord and the world had seemed much simpler.

And he told her about his mother who had been so kind, who had played with her children and fed the turtleducks beneath the shade of a cherry tree. His mother, who had vanished into the night during a half-remembered dream and never been spoken of again.

When it seemed like he had nothing left to say, Katara told him of her mother's death and her father's subsequent distance. "Even before he left the South Pole," She said with tears in her eyes. "He was gone."

It was cathartic, sending out all of her worst memories to the darkness.

"So maybe I shouldn't say sorry," She said eventually. "Maybe it's more like… 'I understand'? I don't pity you, Zuko. I've never pitied you. I admire you."

She was tempted to kiss him again, to force him to see that last time wasn't out of naive sympathy, but it wasn't the right time. She couldn't tell him he didn't owe Mai a relationship and then take advantage of his vulnerability. She moved to stand but his hand wrapped around her wrist.

"I'm sorry too, and I-I admire you too," Zuko breathed. His hand was warm on her wrist, but loose, giving her room to move away. He moved slowly, too slowly, giving her too much space and time and all she could do was wait, disbelieving until he finally, _finally_ kissed her.

.

"Line 'em up for the Warden!" A guard called. Katara and Sokka stood to attention with bated breath, as the eight prisoners who had disembarked the gondola were lined up. There- _there!_ At the end of the line, Hakoda stood tall and proud with his wrists in chains. She suppressed a grin and gripped Sokka's hand tightly in excitement. There was no one else she recognised, and her heart broke for Haru, but to see her Dad looking uninjured and strong… it gave her hope.

It was Katara's first view of Mai's uncle, the Warden of Boiling Rock prison. He stood with his hands behind his back and scowled at the prisoners before him. He looked nothing like Mai- where her features were fine and small, the warden's features were bloated and boorish. His jowls seemed to be formed less from fat, but from perpetual scowling and his mouth was formed into a deep, scowling frown.

"Welcome to the Boiling Rock," He announced, and he sounded exhausted as though the will had been forced from him. "I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumours about our little island. Well, I just want to tell you that they don't have to be true, as long as you do everything I say," He paused, as though debating whether to give more of a speech, but decided against it and sighed deeply. "Take them away,"

Sokka and Katara fell into step behind the line of prisoners and followed Hakoda to his cell. They lingered at the door as the other guards left and let themselves in. "I'm so glad you're okay!" Sokka breathed, and Katara removed her helmet.

Hakoda had begun to get into a fighting stance but when he took in Katara's smiling face he teared up immediately. "Katara? _Sokka_?" He rushed forward and wrapped them both in a tight hug.

It felt so good to see him again, and Katara clutched him close and breathed in that distinct _dad_ smell that was buried beneath the scratchy prison uniform. "It's so good to see you," She breathed.

"What are you doing here?" He said wonderingly. "How did you find me?"

"Zuko thought this would be where you were," Sokka explained. "And we found some other allies on the way."

"That's great- we're going to need all the help we can get," Hakoda seemed unable to let either of them go; he kept reaching to touch their shoulders or run a hand over Katara's hair, as though to reassure himself they were really there.

"Where is Bato? And the others?" Katara asked.

"They singled me out as the leader and sent me here after interrogation," Hakoda sighed. "The others have been incarcerated at the prison in the capital, I think." Sokka and Katara exchanged a dismayed look. "So… do you guys have a plan?"

"One or two…" Sokka said nervously. "But all my plans seem to go wrong at the moment and I'm not sure if-"

"Sokka," Hakoda said seriously. "There's not a prison in the world that can hold us when we put our heads together."

Sokka smiled at that.

.

The plan relied heavily on a big distraction, and it was possibly the most brazen thing Sokka had ever suggested. Sokka went to tell Haru and Suki, while Katara sought out Ty Lee and Zuko. Ty Lee looked slightly dubious at the specifics but shrugged when Katara asked for input.

"You guys have managed to get away from Azula and the Fire Nation army so far, why shouldn't this work?" Altogether not the most reassuring vote of confidence, but Katara would take what she could get. Besides, she only needed Ty Lee's compliance, not her approval.

She found her heart thumping as she approached Zuko's cell, where he'd said he'd wait for news. They hadn't seen each other more than a handful of times since the previous night, and she'd only had a few small smiles across the prison courtyard to convince her it had really happened. She paused outside Zuko's cell and took a deep breath before she opened the door. He was sat on the bed, as usual, waiting for her.

"Did you find your father?" He asked, standing as she closed the door. "Is he alright?"

"He's okay," Katara nodded, laughing breathlessly. "We found him, it's okay," She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Zuko, pressing her face into his neck as he rubbed her back. "We've come up with a plan to get us all out of here."

"Good, I was beginning to get sick of prison food," Zuko said dryly and Katara whacked him in the side. He tightened his arms around her and they stood in silence, hearts pounding. Katara wasn't sure exactly how to act now; how do you behave around someone you've revealed all of yourself to, who you've kissed in the dark but who may very well one day rule a nation and- and she was getting carried away with her own thoughts.

She reached up and kissed him. He seemed all too happy to help distract her from unwelcome thoughts and held her tightly to him. Kissing Zuko was definitely something she could see herself doing a _lot_ \- it was like the world around her darkened and all she could think about was his mouth on hers, and his hands in her hair.

The sounds of footsteps pulled her from him, and he pressed her to the wall beside the door, listening intently as the light footsteps neared. She could see the wariness in his eyes and kicked herself for getting caught up in kissing him rather than telling him the plan, and now they were going to get caught and… and the footsteps faded as whoever it was walked right past the cell. Zuko relaxed and sat down on the bed heavily. "Sorry," He muttered, looking a little pink. "I, uh- got a little carried away."

She laughed, which only made him go redder, and shook her head. "No, no- I was the one who- anyway, the plan! I need to tell you about the plan."

She told him about the planned prison riot, to cause a distraction for the guards and giving them the opportunity to take the Warden prisoner. His eyebrows raised and he shook his head in disbelief. "That's crazy," He breathed with a faint smile. "One of Sokka's plans?"

"His boldest yet," Katara grinned. "We can grab Mai on the way upstairs once we've taken the Warden hostage, and we'll be able to call Appa using the sky bison whistle."

He looked up at her with a tiny smile. "What do you need from me?"

Ignoring the million other (mildly inappropriate) responses that came to mind, Katara replaced her helmet. "Be in the courtyard in an hour, and have a think of how to start a prison riot," He nodded and Katara paused at the door, rushing back to give him a quick, chaste kiss before leaving. "And stay safe," She urged, before leaving him and walking briskly out to the mezzanine.

It was difficult to disguise the skip in her step, and she had to fight to keep the grin from her face. They had found her father, they were going to escape and Zuko returned her feelings.

She felt like she was floating on air.

"Hey, you! Guard," A sharp voice called, and Katara stilled- it couldn't be. "Come here."

She slowly turned, fighting to disguise the sickening horror as her eyes finally rested on the Fire Nation princess, stood at the top of the stairs and flanked by the Warden. Katara glanced around for Dai Li agents, but couldn't see any- it appeared as though Azula had come alone.

"Guard!" The Warden hissed. "Bow to the princess."

Swallowing bile, Katara fell to the floor in the way she'd seen others do to Zuko, bringing her hands together in front of her forehead, pressed to the floor. Had Azula found out they were here? Did she know _Zuko_ was here?

"Oh Warden, your standards are slipping," Azula purred. "First your niece betrays her country and now your guards are forgetting their manners. I'm disappointed," Katara kept her head pressed to the floor, hoping they'd move on and she could warn the others but Azula walked towards her. "Get up."

Slowly, Katara straightened, trying to stop the shaking at Azula's proximity. She wanted nothing more than to rip the princess to shreds and the ferocity of her anger towards the girl was overwhelming in its intensity.

"A bit on the small side, too," Azula criticised, and the Warden seemed taken aback, eyeing Katara shrewdly as though wondering where she'd come from. "Never mind, come with me," Azula commanded and proceeded along the mezzanine, towards Zuko's cell.

"Your Highness, please- I should really call a lockdown-" The Warden tried but Azula scowled at him.

"Just get Ty Lee up here," She snapped, and there was a wildness in her eyes Katara hadn't seen before and it was even more disturbing than the cool indifference she usually embodied.

The Warden turned to the other guard, "Bring Ty Lee to my quarters."

The other guard bowed and practically sprinted down the stairs, faster than Katara had seen any other guard move the whole time she'd been here. She swallowed hard and prayed that Zuko wouldn't emerge from his cell in sight of Azula. If the sister saw the brother, they were done for.

But they made it to the Warden's quarters without incident, and Katara followed them into the Warden's rooms. She could feel sweat beading on the back of her neck at Azula's unguarded proximity. She wished there was more water nearby even if just to give her a sense of control.

"Get Mai," Azula ordered, and practically oozed into the chair behind the Warden's desk. She was, as ever, completely in control of the situation, but Katara still didn't know if she was aware of their presence in the prison or not. It didn't seem like it, but Azula had tricked them before.

The Warden nodded to Katara stiffly, and Katara realised she was expected to bring Mai before the princess. She straightened and walked to Mai's door with purpose, opening it and walking inside without knocking. She hoped Azula wouldn't realise she was snatching a few seconds alone with the girl.

Mai was sat on the edge of her bed, staring gloomily into the distance. She glared at Katara's intrusion, standing as Katara approached. "It's me," Katara hissed as loud as she dared. "The rescue plan is in play but there's a problem."

"Hurry up, I haven't got all day."

At Azula's call, Mai went very still. Here normally shrewd eyes widened and she stared at Katara in fear. The expression was so out-of-place on Mai that Katara faltered, but in an instant, it was gone, and Mai straightened her shoulders, leading the way into the Warden's office- unarmed, weak and exposed.

Unsure what else to do, Katara followed.

Mai stood before Azula, across the desk from her with her chin raised bravely. The Warden seemed unsure of what to say. And stood awkwardly beside Azula. If the Warden was here, that meant he couldn't be taken hostage by the others, and Sokka's whole escape plan was at risk.

Azula seemed content to wait, she had her legs crossed and arms draped over the arms of the chair, watching Mai with cold, calculating eyes. Mai said nothing, she just looked back at her and didn't look away. The stillness of the room gave Katara chills, and the Warden seemed to feel the tension too. He cleared his throat twice, but neither of the teenage girls looked at him.

"Mai, please," The Warden said lowly. "You're a smart girl…"

The door opened and the guard escorted Ty Lee into the room, she stared at Azula and Mai, wide-eyed. She didn't seem to recognise Katara, which was somewhat reassuring; if Ty Lee, who knew Katara was in the prison, didn't recognise her, then maybe Azula wouldn't either.

"Ty Lee," Azula greeted. "Glad you could join us. How are you enjoying the Boiling Rock?"

Ty Lee twisted her hands together but remained silent. It was Mai who answered. "What do you want, Azula?"

Azula smiled. "I'm not so hard-hearted as to leave my _childhood friends_ to rot on this gods-forsaken rock without a second chance," She spread her fingers at them. "Of course, I have conditions. After all, how can I ever really trust you again unless you prove yourselves to me?"

Katara really, really didn't like where this was going. Azula leaned forward over the desk, rising from her chair and looking every inch the commanding general.

"Prove yourselves to me," Azula repeated.

And she waited, expectantly.

Katara's heart thumped hard against her ribs.

Mai's eyes finally slid from Azula's and landed on hers.

Time stopped.

 _No._

The door opened and a selection of guards frog-marched Sokka, Zuko, Haru and Suki into the room, throwing them to the floor. "The prisoners you requested, Princess Azula."

Mai's eyes snapped away, to Zuko who knelt on the floor glaring up, past her, at his sister. They weren't chained, which was something, but there was only one exit and it was blocked by about five Fire Nation guards.

"Making friends, Zu-zu?" Azula asked. Zuko's eyes widened and he seethed fire from his mouth but didn't otherwise move. Sokka, Haru and Suki each glared up at Azula. "Is that all of them?" She asked Mai and Ty Lee. "Is this all of your little friends?"

 _Please don't_. Katara silently begged as Mai turned to look at Azula. Ty Lee looked to Mai, as though waiting for a cue. But Mai just watched Azula in silence, not confirming or denying her.

Azula waited, eyes boring into Mai's in an invisible power struggle that simmered beneath the surface of their cool, dispassionate faces. Azula was the one who cracked. Her red lips twisted into an ugly grimace. "I gave you everything," She said, eyes wild. "What more did you _want?_ You had the freedom to travel the world, to prove the glory of the Fire Nation above all others and _you-_ " She hissed at Zuko. "I offered you all you ever wanted and you were too much of a _coward_ to take it-" She turned, wheeling on Katara. "But I'm not."

Things moved very quickly all of a sudden. Katara wheeled out of the way of a blue burst of fire and Mai lunged for the letter opener. Ty Lee, a beat after Mai moved, sprang over the heads of Zuko, Sokka, Suki and Haru to disable the guards. Haru and Suki jumped up to help her and Zuko sent a torrent of fire at the Warden.

Katara's hands were full with Azula, who whipped around and seemed to flit around the room, sending volleys of fire her way.

Mai darted around the desk and held the letter opener to her uncle's throat. "You're going to let us go," she whispered. The Warden stared at her before his face darkened.

"No," He glowered. "I'm loyal to the Fire Nation."

He whirled an arm around but it was blocked by Zuko, who span through the air and kicked up an arc of fire to knock the Warden back. Mai and Zuko were able to force the Warden backwards, through one of his doorways and locked the door closed.

Outside, Katara could hear the clash of swords, even as she ducked and dived and wound around Azula's relentless attacks, she kept an eye on the doorway for her brother. She knew here, indoors, she and Haru were the weakest links. No obvious sources of earth or water… She had to find a way to end this.

Azula whirled away from her, eyes on Zuko whose back was too exposed as he held the door against the Warden. Azula swept her arms in a wide circle with white-hot tendrils crackling over her sleeves.

 _No_.

She wasn't sure it would work; she couldn't feel the moon as strongly as she had last time, but Katara reached out in desperation and took hold of Azula's body.

Sort of. Azula's arms froze, with the lightning crackling across her. She screamed in frustration and turned to glare at Katara, her face contorted in horror. "You-" She took in a deep breath and let out a scream of fiery blue fury. Katara was forced to release her arms as she dived out of the way, colliding with a table in the process.

She found herself sprawled on the floor beneath it, and lifted her hand against some sort of sharp rice wine seeping through the wood above her. Zuko and Azula were facing off, with flames of orange and blue raising the temperature of the room to unbearable heights.

Katara could barely even see them for the brightness of their fire, and the heat prickled the hairs on her skin. She had to stop them- firebending was too much in such close quarters, and someone could get seriously hurt. She reached out and pulled the rice wine into a condensed mass, aiming for the approximate source of the blue fire, and threw it with all her might.

"Let's go!" She shouted as Azula was thrown against the wall. They ran into the corridor where Sokka and Suki were fighting their way through a crowd of guards. Over the railing, Katara could see more running up the stairs and the prison seemed to have gone into lockdown.

"This isn't good," Zuko breathed.

"We need to get up to the roof!" Sokka called, clashing swords with a larger guard, he was fighting at the top of the stairs, with Suki and Ty Lee at his back. Haru was trading blows with a couple of guards but looked significantly worse for wear and with no earth or weapons, he was struggling badly.

Zuko noticed Haru's predicament and quickly moved to help Haru clear a pathway to the stairs that would take them to the roof. "Come on!" He called, bending a series of fireballs at the guards and forcing them back, away from Haru. He led the way up the stairs and threw his body against the door at the top, bursting into the bright evening sun.

The gondola docking station was on the outer wall of the courtyard and they wouldn't possibly be able to reach it with the guards on high alert. Their best hope was Appa. Katara rushed to the edge of the roof, dug beneath her tunic for Appa's whistle and blew hard.

She was nearly sent off the edge of the roof by a burst of fire, but someone caught her hand. "Are you okay?" Zuko asked, sending a fireball back at the firebending guard.

"Just fine," Katara responded, letting him pull her back from the edge and pulling a string of water from the boiling lake. A few of the guards faltered at the sight of it, and she whipped it at their arms and shoulders, forcing them back.

Zuko flashed a quick grin before spinning around and kicking an arc of flames at the guards' feet.

The combination of boiling water and fire seemed to work well at driving the guards back to the door and down the stairs. Katara blew hard on the whistle again, hoping Appa could hear. Shouts and cries erupted from inside the prison, and Katara span to see blue flame licking at the edges of the doorway.

"Is she…" Sokka trailed off, aghast.

Zuko's eyes widened in horror and he started towards the open door, as though to go back inside and stop Azula doing… what she was doing, but Azula erupted from the doorway in a blaze of blue. "Azula!" He growled, falling into a bending stance with his feet planted solidly. "What have you done?"

Azula's eyes swung to him, and she laughed. The laughter shook her shoulders and echoed across the suddenly silent rooftop. They were spread out around Azula in a rough semicircle, widening with Zuko a few steps closer than the rest, but all were staring at the princess in horror. Even Ty Lee, who usually was so unflappable, was watching Azula laugh with sad, wide eyes and a deep frown.

"Oh, Zu-zu," She chuckled as the belly laughs trailed off. "You always were more our _dear Mother's_ son."

Zuko let out a furious roar, punching a wide tunnel of fire at his sister, but she flipped out of the way and retaliated with three quick blasts that he redirected up into the air. In the distance, Katara could see the small shape of a sky bison approaching, silhouetted against the faintly visible moon rising as the evening light dwindled.

"Appa!" Sokka shouted, and Zuko looked up.

Azula brought her arms around her in that chillingly smooth sweeping motion and Katara brought boiling water crashing into her, but it didn't seem to have an effect; she was too focused on her brother.

It had nearly worked before, right? The moon was so close to being full and now she could see it, she could feel it sing to her.

She reached out, her fingers splayed, and _pulled_.

Azula gasped as she jerked towards Katara, eyes wide. Her whole body jerked and shuddered under Katara's hold, and she screamed in frustration as she fought against it. It was different to before, under the direct influence of the full moon- the moon was close but not yet at full strength and the sun was still hovering lazily on the horizon. From the corner of her eye, she saw the others all looking at her, and she couldn't bring herself to focus on what must be matching, horrified expressions on their faces.

All that mattered right now was her and Azula, locked in this invisible struggle.

Azula was strong, and the not-quite-full moon couldn't give Katara the power she needed to totally overwhelm the princess' will. Azula was able to twist slowly, going through the motions again to create lightning, but Katara jerked her arms enough to disrupt her bending. Azula snarled and thrashed against her hold.

"Katara, come on!" Zuko was at her side, his hand hovering above her shoulder as though afraid to touch her. "We have to get on Appa."

Dimly, she realised the others were no longer around her. She gave a final tug on Azula, causing the princess to topple to the ground, and followed Zuko to the edge of the roof. He leapt off and she jumped, blindly, after him.

Appa took them up, over the boiling lake and had crested the side of the volcano's crater just as a bolt of shattering, blue lightning cracked through the air above them.

They all looked back to where Azula stood, alone on the prison roof, surrounded by bright, blazing, out-of-control fire.

.

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Reviews are super appreciated! Also, can any of you help me? I read a great fanfiction a little while back. Katara had moved to the South Pole after they lost on the day of the comet. Aang was killed, and a few years later Zuko washes up on the shore, having been searching for any of his surviving friends.

Then they get married and try to make a nice, quiet life for themselves in the South Pole (but the Fire Nation finds them and ruins it) but I can't find it anywhere. If anyone remembers this story or can link me I'd be eternally grateful! I can't remember if it's on AO3 or FFnet and it's driving me crazy. Anyone who finds it for me will get a special preview of the next chapter!

EDIT: This has been found by ArrayePL and Hvitserk- it's 'Each Other' by Jennibare


	15. The Importance of a Good Escape Plan

Happy Friday! Here's an early upload.

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Conversation was, for the most part, fairly sparse in the saddle as they flew across the ocean. They'd started heading towards Ember Island but, as Mai had pointed out, Azula would have trackers on their tail.

Katara wasn't sure that she trusted Mai and Ty Lee, but their advice was sound and Sokka steered Appa north towards the Western Air Temple first. "We'll stay at the Western Air Temple tonight and see if Azula's been able to follow us," Sokka agreed. "We won't risk letting her know where Aang is."

Katara remained huddled in one corner of the saddle, not particularly wanting to engage with anyone in conversation after what they had seen her do to Azula.

Her own power disturbed her, but the most unsettling part of it wasn't simply that she'd been able to do it, but how it had made her feel. She felt unstoppable.

Hama had needed the visible presence of the full moon at night to bloodbend, and Katara had done it at sunset, with just a waxing gibbous moon. The thrill of triumph strummed through her veins and she remembered with pleasure the sheer fury in Azula's face when she'd realised what Katara could do to her.

She could feel eyes on her but didn't look to see whose.

The agitation in her body was exacerbated by true nightfall; the moon sang to the adrenaline in her blood and she clenched her fists. Slowly, but with no hint of hesitation, a hand settled over hers and she looked up to see her dad had sat down beside her. His eyes were warm and she fought against the tears that threatened to spill at the love in his face.

"Katara, I don't know what exactly that was, back there," he began and she could feel everyone else watching, listening. "But you made sure we all got out okay, and you fought well."

Katara looked at him in stunned silence. He just didn't know- he didn't see the implications of using Hama's technique. She had given into her own rage and liked it. "Katara, you are not Hama and you never will be," Sokka said solemnly. Katara offered a tight smile at his efforts.

"Who's Hama?" Ty Lee asked. Sokka glanced her way and grimaced.

"She was a Waterbender from the South Pole," Katara said softly, and tried not to pay attention to the way Zuko was watching her with such silent intensity. He was normally so easy to read and the blank, careful way he watched her was unsettling. "We found her when we were… separated from Zuko before. She had developed this technique while in a Fire Nation prison for waterbenders. She figured out how to bend people's blood to escape."

The reveal of what she'd done had different impacts on each of their party' Suki's expression was thoughtful, and she eyed Katara speculatively, Ty Lee gasped and Mai's eyes narrowed with something like… respect? Haru's eyes widened in surprise. Her father's hand on hers tightened but that was all.

Zuko let out a long, slow breath. "Because there was no water available to her. That's… incredibly resourceful."

"But once she was free, she went _crazy_ ," Sokka interjected. "She didn't even… even _try_ to go back to the South Pole where she could have helped us. She set up a creepy inn in the Fire Nation and went on some personal crusade to kidnap and torture citizens with bloodbending. It was so creepy."

He shuddered dramatically. Hakoda looked down at his daughter. "She taught you how to bloodbend?"

"It can only be done under a full moon," Katara explained. "So tonight was… it wasn't as extreme as what she- what we can do under a full moon," She fiddled with the cuffs of her guard uniform absently. "What Hama taught me to do… it's unnatural. It's total control of a human body. She could do multiple people at once and it was so, so scary. I never ever wanted to use it but Azula was so close to hurting- maybe _killing_ -!"

He brought her into a firm embrace. "It's okay, Katara. It's okay."

She hadn't realised she was crying.

They flew through the night and her dad didn't let her go once. They clung to each other tightly, reassuring each other of their presence. The rest of the night's ride was mostly silent.

Zuko moved to sit with Sokka at Appa's helm when the light started gathering. "The Western Air Temple is pretty hard to spot if you don't know what you're looking for."

"You've been before?"

"When I was first banished," Zuko said without emphasis. "I was uh… looking for the Avatar there."

Mai snorted. "As if you'd find the Avatar in the closest Air Temple to the Fire Nation."

"No, and I didn't. Obviously." Zuko said coldly and Mai looked away. "Here- it's this island. Follow that line of mossy growth- it used to be the main path to the temple by road."

The island looked overgrown and barren- it was hard to imagine there had ever been human life here. Appa seemed to know the way, as though he'd made this journey before. He surged forwards, eager, and Katara realised with a jolt it was because Appa had been here before; when the airbenders had a thriving culture and were as populous and commonplace as earthbenders.

"We're here," Zuko said with a small, grim smile as Appa began to dive.

"What-?!" Sokka cried, clutching to the side of the saddle as they seemingly dived straight at a large, empty crater in the ground. Even Mai's eyes widened in shock as Appa plunged towards an impossibly deep hole in the earth.

They dropped below ground level and Katara's breath caught as they finally came into view of the temple buildings. They clung to the underside of the rocky shelf, towering pagodas connected by a network of passages and stairs. It was breathtaking.

Appa landed on a large central platform in what looked like one of the main, central pagodas. In the centre was a huge, round fountain that babbled away with clear, clean water. "This is incredible," Haru breathed, and Appa rumbled in pleased agreement.

They all disembarked and Zuko moved to the edge of the courtyard, looking out into the ravine. "This is probably the best place to wait," He announced. "If Azula's followed us she should be coming from the south side and we've got a clear line of sight."

Sokka shouted back in agreement, and they began to set up a makeshift camp. Katara paused for a minute, before approaching Zuko to stand at his side. The early morning light gave the view a dreamlike quality- soft pinks and blues filtered through the early morning mist and cast pretty, pale shadows on the rock faces.

"Are you alright?" Zuko said softly, and Katara looked down.

She wasn't entirely sure how to respond. She had acted mostly out of instinct, and that terrified her, even if it had helped them escape, and it had been against someone like Azula. "I feel like a monster," She said, just as softly.

His head snapped up and he looked at her for a long moment. "Katara," He started, slowly, with each word heavy with consideration. "You are a very powerful bender. Like my sister," She flinched at the comparison and glared at him, hurt. "You are not only a master of waterbending in both battle and healing, but you can heal scars, which is unheard of."

He heaved a deep sigh and looked back out to the ravine.

"I'm not going to tell you that your ability to bloodbend isn't scary, but that's what power is. It's scary. Fire's the same; if left to run its own course then it will destroy everything in its path, but it can also give life and the difference in outcome is down to the bender's control," His shoulders hunched a little, as though embarrassed he'd been speaking for so long, uninterrupted. "You're not the same as Hama- you use your abilities to help people. You're- uh, I think it's incredible."

Katara felt her cheeks heat at the compliment; she didn't feel better about bloodbending, exactly, nor about her use of it on Azula _twice_. But it was a relief that her father still hugged her, that Sokka believed she was nothing like Hama, and that Zuko… Well, he was looking at her again and it wasn't fear or even awe in his eyes, just respect and warmth. She offered a hesitant smile and his mouth quirked up in response. "Thanks," She said quietly and moved close, so that their little fingers could entwine. Side by side, they looked back out at the ravine. "Do you think she'll come?"

Zuko's finger twitched against hers. "I hope not."

"Katara! Zuko!" They jerked apart and turned to see Sokka and Haru approaching, back in their normal clothes. "We'll take watch now- you guys can get changed."

"Oh, thanks guys," Katara smiled. Sokka grinned in response but Haru's eyes were flicking between Katara and Zuko narrowly. Both Katara and Zuko hurried back to Appa and found their things. The temple had a vast network of rooms and corridors, so finding somewhere private to change wasn't difficult, but once she emerged back into the early morning sunlight she felt a twist of guilt.

Mai and Ty Lee were sat by the fountain, speaking quietly with each other and eating small rolls of bread, still in their prison uniforms. Hesitantly, Katara picked up Sokka's armour and carried it over to them, along with her own. "Hey, uh- do you guys want to change into these? Might be nicer than the prison clothes."

The girls exchanged a glance and Ty Lee smiled. "Thanks, Katara. That would be nice."

"They smell," Mai sniffed, and will a slight roll of her eyes, Katara pulled out the fabric of the uniforms, washing them quickly in the fountain and bending the water back out. Mai's eyebrows rose and Ty Lee snickered behind a hand.

"There, should be fine now."

The girls took the offered uniforms and retreated into the air temple complex. Suki emerged from the shadows with her arms folded. "Are you sure we can trust them?" She said in a low voice. "Azula could just be playing a long game."

"Maybe, maybe not," Katara responded, turning to see Suki had also changed into what looked like spare clothes of Sokka's. "But I have to believe in the best."

Suki nodded her head in acknowledgement and landed her hands on her hips. "I get that, but I'm going to keep my eyes on them anyway. We can't afford to lose," Katara nodded with a smile but Suki wasn't done. "I'm going to be keeping an eye on Zuko too."

"Zuko?" Katara asked, surprised and defensive on the firebender's behalf. "But he's been with us since Ba Sing Se… He's not with Azula- she _tortured_ him."

Suki met her eyes directly. "I know you two are close, and that's fine. I'm not going to do anything to hurt him unless he hurts us. If he's on our side then there's nothing to worry about."

Her words of caution made sense, but the idea that Zuko wasn't trusted made Katara's skin itch. Not since the early days of Zuko's defection had she doubted him, but she couldn't begrudge Suki's caution; they had both lost a lot at the hands of the Fire Nation and it was right to be careful, to be guarded. That was why Haru looked at the prince with suspicion too. But Katara just didn't have the capability to keep her walls up anymore, not around Zuko.

She looked over to where he had joined Sokka, Haru and now, Hakoda. It looked like they were discussing strategies with Sokka drawing shapes on the dusty floor with a stick. The sight of them, all together and working in harmony, it gave her hope. Zuko had proven himself time and time again, and the others would see it too, eventually.

She approached the small group with Suki, to discover that they were discussing strategies to get into the prison in the capital. "What?" Katara asked, horrified. "Why?"

"That's where the rest of the invasion force is being held," Hakoda confirmed. "Zuko thinks Azula might be slipping and we may be able to get in from underneath, with Haru's earthbending."

"I've not seen Azula like that before- she burned her own soldiers to get to us. That's _monstrous._ She's always been cruel but," Zuko shook his head. "Something has happened to her."

"She's losing control," Mai's voice made them all jump, and they turned to see the two Fire Nation girls in full armour- considering their recent clashes it was… unsettling to say the least. If they noticed, they ignored it. "Azula has always had the upper hand, but now… in the space of a couple of months, she's lost control of not only Zuko but us too."

Zuko turned to face her. "She never had control of me-"

"Of course she did," Mai's glare was flinty. "All she had to do was offer you the chance to go home and you followed her willingly, just like when we were children."

The mention of their shared childhood made Zuko tense and he glared back out at the ravine, face pale with anger. "I'm not following her now."

"No, you're following someone else," Mai said, disinterestedly, and Katara could have sworn her eyes briefly flickered her way. "And it's sent her over the edge."

Sokka cleared his throat. "So you're saying Azula really has lost it?" He looked down at the scribbled map on the floor. "So this could work," The real question, Katara thought as she watched Zuko's rigid, furious expression, was whether madness made Azula more or less dangerous.

.

Zuko was still silently sulking even as it reached midday, and Katara worked on preparing a basic stew for lunch. He heated the broth and went through the motions but the silence was beginning to grate on Katara.

"Are you not talking to me anymore?" Zuko looked up in surprise. "It's fine if you're not, but it's a bit of an about-turn after this morning."

He huffed out a quick, heavy breath and shook his head, looking back down. "Sorry, I'm not not-talking to you, I'm just… thinking."

"About what Mai said?"

He frowned into the broth. "When we were kids before Azula began to firebend, she was completely different," He took a deep breath and paused, as though he wasn't sure of the words. Katara quietly prepared the vegetables, letting him think. "It wasn't until she was a bit older, once she started firebending and it came out- how powerful she was, that she began to change. She's only fourteen."

Katara fought the urge to respond that _she's_ only fourteen too, but the weight of his words sink in. Azula is only fourteen and she's… like _that_. She sat in silence, watching him as his eyebrows knit together and his mouth worked around words he couldn't find.

"Azula's truly a monster- she enjoys hurting people and the only thing she really _wants_ is power," He said, eventually. "But I'm worried about her anyway."

"Power is scary." Katara murmured, thinking back to what he'd said earlier.

"But she doesn't respect it," Zuko sighed. "She's crazy, and malicious, and cruel… and she's my sister. Whatever that means." He chuckled darkly and ran a hand through his hair. "It's so messed up."

Katara sat up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. The action came to her naturally enough, but he tensed, as though he wasn't used to being held like this. _He probably isn't_ , Katara realised, and buried her face in his hair, holding him tighter until his shoulders fell and a hand came to rest on her arm, pressing her closer.

"It's impossible to believe you're from the same family sometimes," Katara whispered, and he pulled back to look at her. His eyes flickered between hers and she stroked the sides of his face hesitantly. "You have so much goodness in you, Zuko."

"I burned down Suki's village."

"Yes."

"And I attacked your tribe."

"I know."

He groaned in frustration and tore his head from her hands, standing abruptly. "This is ridiculous," He seethed to himself. "How can you be sure I'm nothing like Azula? How can you guys forgive me? How can _you_ bear to-"

Katara stood with him, hand clasped to her chest. "Bear to what?" His face contorted and he held his hands to his temples. "Say it."

He didn't, or he couldn't. He just looked at her, helplessly.

"You're not the only one who's got darkness in them, Zuko," Katara said slowly, deliberately. "You've seen what I can do. If Azula attacks tonight I could probably make her jump off a cliff. I could make her _dance_ off it and you know what? I kind of want to," She held his gaze, voice firm. "You have changed, Zuko. You're not the same angry jerk who attacked people so that you could get to the Avatar. You're Aang's firebending teacher and our friend, you have turned against your own family to join the good guys and there's not a day goes by that I don't thank the spirits for bringing you to us. To me."

That made him blush fiercely, and she took the opportunity to approach him again, to reach up and cradle his jaw gently, giving him the space to pull away if he wanted to. But, he didn't.

"You want to know how I can bear to touch you?" She asked, softly, and he flinched. She stepped up on tiptoes and kissed him, briefly, gently. "You're _nothing_ like Azula."

"Promise me something," He said, and Katara's heart skipped. "If you ever think I'm going that way if you ever think I'm turning into _him_. You'll kill me."

"No," Katara said, simply. He opened his mouth to argue, but she quieted him with another kiss- this one a little more forceful, swallowing his words and chasing away the darkness. "It'll never happen."

He would never be anything like the man who had scarred him, who had banished one child and turned the other into a monster. She didn't know by what miracle he had been spared his family's madness, but she would spend the rest of her life helping him keep it at bay.

"Oh my god!" They pulled apart, to see Sokka stood in the doorway to the kitchen with an expression of slack-jawed horror. His eyes were wide and bugging out of his head as he stared at them. Katara found herself bristling at the way he pointed at each of them in turn. "How long has this been- _what were you doing to my sister?_ "

"Firstly, Sokka, I was the one doing it to Zuko," Katara said primly, and Sokka pinched his arm to wake himself up from whatever nightmare he was living. "Secondly, can you please relax?"

"Relax?" Sokka demanded. "You guys were _kissing!_ "

Katara couldn't help herself; she burst into laughter. The boys stared at her for a long moment before Sokka began to laugh too. Clearly, a bit dumbfounded, Zuko's shoulders slumped and he smiled ruefully at the both of them.

"Oh my god," Sokka wiped tears from his eyes and leaned heavily on Katara. "You guys, kissing. Hilarious." He wheezed through the laughter and tried to catch his breath. "Jeez, a little warning would have been nice."

Katara flushed in response and shot Zuko a guilty glance. He blinked at Sokka, a little dumbfounded. "You're not angry at me?" He asked.

"Angry?" Sokka gave him an odd look. "Why would I be angry? _You_ need to relax, Mr Stuffy Pants," He grinned, but whatever else was going to be said was lost as the temple shook, and the shouts and cries above them announced Azula's arrival. The teasing grin disappeared from Sokka's face. "Come on," He urged, and led them back up to the main courtyard.

Three airships were hovering just at ground level, blasting fire at their friends. Haru had sent up a shield of earth, but it was difficult for the non-benders to help against the long-range attacks of the Fire Nation soldiers.

Zuko sprang into action immediately, spinning and sending a blast of flame up at the airships. "Aim to puncture the balloons!" He shouted over his shoulder at Katara. "It's their weakest point!"

Katara pulled water from the fountain and hardened it into spikes of ice aimed directly at the balloons, but a blast of bright blue flame shot up and deflected them. Emerging out of the mist below them was Azula, stood on top of a parapet.

She wore full Fire Nation armour, and her hair was up in its usual topknot but it looked… frazzled, somehow. As though she'd not put her normal effort into her appearance. Her lips looked smudged and the way she grinned at them was chilling.

"Zuko! So glad you could join us!" She laughed. "I was just teaching Mai and Ty Lee a little lesson in gratefulness- perhaps you should take part."

She clenched her fists and sent a barrage of flame at Haru's earth defence. Sokka was preparing Appa for escape down a tunnel, but the sky bison was fighting him with all he had. Gritting her teeth, Katara raised her arms threateningly. "Azula, stop!"

Azula's eyes narrowed at her. "Oh, _good_."

"Ready for another go?" Katara taunted, and Zuko moved to the opposite end of the courtyard, sending defensive blasts back at the airships but waiting for Katara's signal. Azula laughed again, loudly.

"Oh, _waterbender_. Or is there another name for what you did before?"

"Want me to do it again? See if you can figure it out?" Katara was pretty sure she was bluffing; she'd been able to bloodbend Azula before but it was early afternoon now and there was no moon to be seen.

And the sun burned bright above them, fuelling the firebenders. Azula had timed her attack perfectly, and she knew it. She smirked down at Katara in that awful, cloying way, sending a blast of icy blue fire at her. Katara slid out of its way and bent an arcing array of ice spikes towards Azula, forcing her to leap from her parapet and land on top of one of the war balloons.

"Appa won't go into the tunnels Haru built!" Sokka called out to them, his voice nearly drowned out by the roaring of the fires. "We're gonna need a distraction!"

"Got it!" Zuko shouted, and ran forwards, leaping across to the balloon Azula crouched on and kicking fire at her. Taken aback by his blatant attack on the princess, the firebenders focused their attacks on him, giving Katara the opportunity to tear small holes in their balloons.

Two of the balloons began to fall into the mist, just slowly enough that Katara could tell herself they'd land safely enough in the water beneath them. Zuko engaged with Azula atop the balloon, so Katara propelled herself into the cabin of the adjoining balloon- where the last remaining firebender was sending bursts of fire up at Zuko.

He reeled back as she landed on the deck, whipping water around her to send him careening out of the other side. He caught onto a trailing ladder dangling from Azula's airship and began to climb. At the helm of the war balloon, stood a man in armour, shaking and holding onto the stern for dear life.

"Please… Don't hurt me."

Katara faltered, and he lunged at her with a dagger. She dived, rocking the war balloon and forcing it to knock into the airship on which Zuko and Azula still fought. Appa groaned and dived out of the way, having just emerged from Haru's shelter and crashed through the other airship, tearing a hole in the balloon and sending it lurching against the cliff face. Katara's heart lodged in her throat and she lunged at her attacker, icing him to the wall and leaning out of the side of the cabin.

" _Zuko!_ " She screamed as the massive airship began to descend.

She could only see the side of the balloon as it moved past the open doorway- no, wait- _there._

They were both stumbling, struggling to find their footing on top of the airship, but he'd heard her shout, and looked at her with wide eyes. He turned his back on Azula and ran across the descending balloon as fast as he could, leaping from it and reaching out his hand to hers.

She pulled him into the balloon's cabin, falling to the floor and pulling him down with her. He landed awkwardly on her stomach, winding them both but she was just so relieved he was unharmed.

"Thanks," He gasped, sitting up. He looked out of the open doorway to see the falling airship, with Azula slipping off the side. "Azula… She's not going to make it."

Katara held onto him and watched as Azula finally slipped off the ballon, disappearing over the side as it lurched and crashed downwards. There was a flash of blue behind the balloon and it fell away to reveal Azula, hair loose and windswept, holding onto the side of the cliff face and smirking up at them.

In a tone Katara found difficult to place, Zuko sighed. "Of course she did," He muttered, and stood. He turned to look at the soldier iced to the wall, who was staring at him, agog. "You. You know who I am?" The soldier nodded. "You can join us if you like, or we can leave you here."

The soldier looked out of the open door in horror, staring down at the mist. "We won't throw you overboard," Katara said firmly, standing at Zuko's shoulder. "You've already lost today. We're not hurting anyone we don't have to."

The soldier didn't seem able to form a proper sentence, so Zuko steered the ship to one side and Katara left him, encased in ice on the edge of a smaller pagoda.

"I hope you remember this kindness," She said softly, as she backed away. "He's not like Azula, you know," The soldier's eyes flickered in fear at the princess' name, used so casually. "She scares me too," Katara admitted. "And she would destroy your country if she ever became Firelord."

With that, she turned and hopped into the cabin, alongside Zuko, who steered the ship back up towards Appa, not turning back to see how his sister fared climbing the cliff by herself.

She pressed a hand between his shoulder blades as he steered in silent reassurance, but they didn't say anything for a long while. Appa went ahead with the others to Ember Island, as the war balloon travelled slower and it made more sense to get the rescued prisoners to safety first.

"Do you want me to take a turn?" Katara asked as the sun vanished and the rise of the full moon gave her little jolts of energy. Zuko turned to look at her and smiled.

"Do you know how?"

She looked at the controls and gave him a wry smile back. "No."

"Come here," He stepped to one side and waved her across. "You use this to steer, so that way for left and this for right…" As he talked her through the basic instructions, he gave her small, casual touches to adjust her grip or point out a different switch, and Katara found it almost as overwhelming as the kisses.

Zuko, however, seemed irritatingly oblivious to the effect he was having on her, and simply taught her how to steer the airship as though he wasn't bending lightning directly into her veins with every brush of his hand.

"Okay?" He checked, and Katara just found herself looking back at him, taking in his face, the sweaty hair sticking to his forehead and the smear of oily grease on his cheek. "What?" He asked and she shrugged. "What is it?"

"I'm glad you didn't die," She said, and he blinked.

"Me too."

"When the ballon started going down…" She smiled. "But you don't give up, do you? You keep fighting hard, no matter what."

His eyes averted from hers, glaring out the window. "A family trait, I think," She opened her mouth to object, but the look on his face stopped her. "Katara. Azula's unhinged. We need to be able to take her down properly, next time."

"I know," She said quietly, watching him carefully.

He swallowed. "I know you're not going to like this, but you need to be able to attack her with everything you've got, including bloodbending."

"I did," Katara frowned. "I used it against her-"

"But you're limited by the moon cycles and we won't have the full moon on the day of the comet," Zuko said forcefully, looking back at her and taking her hands. "Do you think it would help if you practised?"

Katara looked away. "I can't," She said grimly. "Hama practised on rats and animals but I don't think I could do that to an innocent creature. They wouldn't know what was happening and I might hurt them."

"I mean on me."

She stared at him and he met her eyes unflinchingly. He was serious. "No way- you don't understand what it's like. You lose total control of your own body and it hurts. It aches deep in your bones- it's awful."

"She burned her own men, Katara. Not even her enemies- Fire Nation citizens that were following her orders," He shook his head and rubbed his fingers across her knuckles. "I know it won't be… pleasant. At all. But if it will help."

"But I don't _want_ to," Katara hissed. "I don't want to do it to you. It's something horrible, and angry, and twisted. Even doing it to Azula is wrong…" No matter how much she relished having control over Azula... The idea of doing it in any non-life-threatening situation, especially against someone she cared about, made her sick. "I don't want to hurt you."

Zuko gripped her hands harder. "I know, I'm sorry, but please, please think about it. We can't afford to lose this war."

There was something in his face that stopped her denying him outright; a grim determination that bled into desperation. She squeezed his hands back. "I'll think about it," She said, slowly, already preparing her inevitable rejection of the idea but he smiled at her gratefully, anyway.

The journey to Ember Island was longer than it had been from Boiling Rock, but couldn't afford to stop overnight in case Azula found them, so Katara steered whilst Zuko caught up on some sleep, and mulled over his suggestion.

She could see the logic in it, she really could, but the thought of practising bloodbending on Zuko gave her a visceral gut reaction. She didn't want to see him helpless like that, especially at her own hands. She didn't want to think about how it might change the dynamic between them. Zuko respected her as a person and a bender, but would he fear her if she took control of his blood? She didn't think she could bear for him to look at her with fear or distrust after everything they'd been through.

She looked over her shoulder to where he slept, lying on his back with his arms folded across his stomach. Her mind still reeled at the fact that the Firelord had burned his thirteen-year-old son's face and sent him on what must have seemed a fool's errand. It was so cruel- no father should treat their child that way.

Looking at him now,it would be easy to think it had never happened- that the boy behind her had never felt his flesh bubble away under fire, hadn't spent years at sea with no way to return home, hadn't renounced his heritage to help them save the world. But he had. They had all been through so much and it may well be over in just another week or so.

Then, everything would change again.

She gripped the controls tighter as her thoughts involuntarily jumped back to the vision of Zuko, in the palace, wearing the crown and the way the soldiers had bowed at the sight of him. She couldn't see herself there with him.

That strange feeling of distance she'd had after they'd brought him back from prison reared its head again, and she looked back at the sleeping prince. She didn't know what the future might hold for them, but she'd take what she could get.

Even if all she could get would be the next few weeks.

The thought was sobering, and she stared out at the night sky with a frown. This was not the time to worry about a future that might not happen. It was time to make sure there was a future to worry about.

"Alright," She said, out loud. Zuko sat up behind her, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry?"

"I'll do it. I'll practice bloodbending on you."

After all, if they couldn't get through the day of the comet, then what would be the point of any of this? Katara's shame didn't matter, the risk of Zuko fearing her didn't matter, all that mattered was taking the Firelord and his mad daughter down.

Zuko strapped the controls in place with a few lengths of cord and turned to face her, eyes determined. "Right, what do you need me to do?" He asked, and she felt a thrill of fear run through her. This was really happening.

She took him by the hand and pulled him to the centre of the cockpit. She looked up at his face and kissed him softly, sweetly. "If you want me to stop, just say so and I'll stop immediately," She promised. He nodded and she took a few steps backwards.

He looked so vulnerable, alone in the light of the full moon- it exaggerated how pale his skin was, and cast a silvery tinge to his dark hair but his face was sure and his eyes were fixed on hers.

So, she took a deep breath and raised her arms.

The moment she took hold of him, his eyes widened in surprise and she faltered. "Sorry," She blurted but he shook his head.

"No, it's fine- just weird," He said as she raised one of his arms. "It aches a little, but I wouldn't say it hurts."

She brought him towards her, walking in a circle and forcing him to follow her lead. She wasn't sure what else to do; with the full moon overhead, it was _easy_ to move him around, as though he was made of water. It was much easier than taking control of Hama, or Azula had been. She started to bring his arms out to the side and something changed- there was a resistance.

He glanced at her. "Is that different?"

"Yeah, what are you doing?" She breathed. His arm moved slower, more jerkily but it was still easier than stopping Azula. Sweat beaded on Zuko's forehead as she spread his arms out, either side of him.

"Trying to keep still. It's hard," He grunted with a smile, but managed to twitch his own fingers. In response, Katara grinned at him and tightened her hold on his hands but heard a sickening crack. Zuko blanched and Katara released him immediately, hands flying to her mouth in horror. Zuko brought his arms down and held up his left hand between them. His little finger was clearly broken. "Ow."

"Oh my- _Zuko_ , are you okay?" Katara stepped forward but stopped herself, waiting for him to flinch back, but he just took hold on his finger gingerly with the other hand and gave it an experimental wiggle, wincing.

"We broke my finger," He explained and sighed.

"I'm so sorry," Katara breathed, rushing to pull some water from her flask. "I can't believe I did that to you."

"Katara, it's fine," He sighed as she brought the healing water to his hand. "It's just a broken finger. I shouldn't have fought it so hard I just wanted to test how strong your hold was."

"I pushed back," Katara shook her head. "It was stupid- I was getting competitive and trying to beat you when I should have been more careful," She bit her lip. "I'm so sorry."

"No, don't be," Zuko bent his finger experimentally and nodded. "It was a good first session."

Katara gave him a hard look. "You can't be serious," She said, exasperated. "I broke your finger using bloodbending. That's _terrible_."

Zuko shrugged. "It's not that big a deal. You didn't seriously hurt me, I wasn't in fear for my life and we have a good idea of what you can do with the full moon out. That's a good start," He glanced up at her face and frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?" He put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed hard. He wasn't looking at her like she was a monster or even a weapon. He was treating the whole exercise as though it was no different to a normal sparring session and it was oddly reassuring. "I'm fine," Katara took a deep breath. "Just a little freaked out."

Zuko paused, looking a little lost for a moment, before seeming to make up his mind. He pulled her into an awkward, stiff hug. "It's okay," He said gently, one hand on the back of her head. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

"Zuko," Katara said into his shoulder, and he kissed the side of her head. "Are you comforting me?"

"I think so?" He smiled into her hair. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, Zuko," She brought her arms up and hugged him back, burrowing into his chest. "It's more than okay."


	16. A Little Selfishness is Important

Their arrival back at Ember Island was a breathless, happy affair the next day. As expected, Appa had arrived with the others during the previous night and Sokka had filled in the others on everything that had happened at the prison and Western Air Temple, which was good because it meant the tired pair didn't need to rehash the events of the last few days.

What was _less_ good was the fact that Sokka had clearly also told the others that he's caught Zuko and Katara kissing.

After the initial giddiness of returning and reuniting, Hakoda got an odd look in his eye and pulled Zuko aside for a 'quick man-to-man' talk. Zuko didn't seem to really understand what he meant and looked genuinely flattered as Hakoda led him away from the group.

"He has no idea," Suki sighed, sidling up to Katara with her arms folded and a smirk. Toph chuckled darkly.

"Poor guy."

"What? Aang asked brightly, propelling himself over on an air scooter. "What's Hakoda doing to Zuko?"

"Probably telling him that if he ever hurts Katara or treats her indecently he'll kill him," Suki said with dry amusement. "You, know… he gave me the same talk about Sokka."

"Really?" Katara smirked. "Oh… _that's_ good to know."

"Zuko would never treat Katara badly," Aang said with solemn sincerity. "He's the most honourable person I know…" His expression faltered. "Though I guess what he thinks is 'honourable' does tend to change…"

"Aang!" Katara scolded and he grinned cheekily.

"Oh, he's just teasing," Suki nudged her. "It's pretty funny."

"Why does everyone seem to think that?" Katara scowled. "Sokka seemed to think it was _hilarious_ too... " She paused, looking around. "Where _is_ Sokka?"

"He's been exploring the storage rooms," Haru piped up, "I can take you to him. He's looking for decorations for our party this evening."

"Party?" Katara asked, a little dumbfounded. "But there's so much to do-"

"We're not staying here much longer. We're going to have one night and then we're leaving," Haru explained, leading her into the house.

He explained Sokka's plans as they made their way upstairs; Sokka had decided that it was time for the group to seek out Iroh and the defected soldiers. After they'd found them, Hakoda was to lead half the group, including Haru, into the Capital to spread rumours of the Prince's imminent return and sow the seeds of dissent before liberating the captured prisoners and take the throne.

Aang would lead a second group to intercept the Firelord's burning at the Earth Kingdom shoreline. He would face the Firelord and take him down whilst the others attacked the warships.

"Katara, I've been thinking about what I said before, about Zuko," Haru said, coming to a stop. "I'm not convinced he's not using us to take the throne from his father, but-" He held up a hand when Katara opened her mouth to protest. "I don't think less of him for it. After seeing what Azula's capable of…" He trailed off, looking a little sick. "I've seen a lot of cruelty from the Fire Nation, but I never thought I'd see anything quite that… thoughtless, that obscene."

Katara looked away.

"Also, I know you guys are… doing whatever it is you're doing," Haru finished. "I don't know if it's a good idea, but it's really not any of my business."

He grinned and she rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"Oh, Katara!" Sokka grinned as they entered the room. "Glad you're back! Has Haru filled you in?" Haru gave Katara a little wave and headed back outside, where the others were training.

"The party?" Katara said archly, stepping into the room. "Or your strategy?"

"All of the above," Sokka pulled out a painting. "Oh my _gosh,_ Katara- look!" He angled the portrait towards her. "Zuko as a baby!" He grinned jubilantly. "We have to use this as party decor."

Katara sighed, kneeling down beside her brother. "Sokka, the comet is just over a week away. Are you sure this is the best course of action?"

"The people of the Fire Nation are beginning to see the truth, Katara," Sokka said quietly. "You saw how Azula treats people- not even enemies, but her own people. We failed the invasion but our numbers grew. If we launch a real coup with Fire Nation soldiers maybe the people will rise too."

Katara had been thinking along similar lines, but she has a distinct feeling they had different hopes for who would be the Firelord. "Who would you put on the throne?" She asked, feigning disinterest.

Sokka looked up at her seriously. "Even if we persuade Iroh to take the throne, Zuko will be named his heir. It could be now or later, but Zuko _will_ be Firelord, Katara. This doesn't end with him running away to the South Pole with you."

She knew that, but she resolutely ignored his words. "And the party?"

"Something to remember each other by," Sokka said, standing with his arms full of paper lanterns on a thin, golden chain. "Everything's going to change soon, so we deserve one last night of wacky hijinks."

Katara smiled, thinking back to the Fire Nation cave party when Zuko had said he would only dance if… "Hey, Sokka… Have you found a shamisen in your hunt?"

.

They spent the day practising their bending, and as night fell, Aang and Zuko lit the lanterns Sokka had found. The overall mood was light, and even the Fire Nation girls came out to drink and sit on the periphery, talking together in the golden glow of the lamplight.

Hakoda joined for a short while, but retired to bed early, claiming he was too old to be partying with a 'bunch of teenagers' so he warmly bade them goodnight and headed inside.

"I hope my dad wasn't too hard on you," Katara teased as Hakoda gave them a friendly wave goodnight, and Zuko frowned.

"I wasn't expecting that at all," He admitted. "Is that a Water Tribe thing? Scare the guy who… uh, is hanging out with your daughter?" He glanced at her nervously and she smiled, threading their fingers together and pressing against his side.

"I think it's a worldwide 'Dad' thing, but don't worry- apparently Suki got the same talk," she said.

He grinned at that. Katara just smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, happy to sit together on the veranda and enjoy each other's presence. Time like this was precious, and she was determined to make the most of it.

The golden glow of the lanterns and gentle sounds of the others' chatter made the whole courtyard feel warm and safe. She could see out of the corner of her eye Toph and Aang giggling together as they carried out a lumpy bundle wrapped in dust sheets, and she smirked.

"Music please, maestro!" Aang grinned and bowed low to Toph. Beside Katara, Zuko tensed.

"I, Toph, the greatest earthbender of all time, will now present to you one of my hidden talents," Toph declared, holding the shamisen cradled in one arm. "By special request."

"Katara."

"Yes, Zuko?"

"Is this your doing?"

Katara smiled up at him. "You know, Toph is actually from a very wealthy family, and was brought up to be a proper little lady," Zuko eyed her warily. "If she decided tonight would be a good night to demonstrate her musical talents… well, what could that possibly have to do with me?"

Zuko made a noise that sounded fairly dubious as Toph began to pluck a jarring and mistake-laden melody that sounded vaguely similar to one of the tunes the Fire Nation school children played in the cave. "Talents," He deadpanned as Toph hit a particularly sour note. "Right."

"Come on guys!" Aang called as he began to throw some particularly eccentric shapes in the courtyard, roughly in time to Toph's playing. "Mai, Ty Lee! Show us how it's done!" Mai made an offended noise in the back of her throat, but Ty Lee grinned and cartwheeled into the courtyard. Her enthusiasm drew Haru in, grinning and attempting to follow their more agile moves.

"Toph, you play terribly!" Teo shouted, laughing as he spun his wheelchair around in circles, jerking it to the left and right to keep in time. The Duke was wiggling his butt in delighted abandon.

Toph just laughed and began to sing, badly.

"Come on, Zuko. Dance with us," Katara grinned, tugging him out from the shelter of the covered veranda. "We all deserve a bit of fun."

He looked caught between wanting to blast fire at her and wanting to run away out of embarrassment, but Aang ran over and grabbed his other hand. "Zuko! Finally!" He cried. "Let's show them the Dancing Dragon again."

"It's not a dance move!" Zuko snapped, but Aang was already stood beside him, in place, and Katara didn't think Zuko really had it in him to deny Aang completely. He heaved a deep, sigh and got into the first position, with his arms up to mirror Aang's. A little disappointed that she wouldn't manage to get Zuko to dance with her properly (after all, by indulging Aang the deal's conditions had _technically_ been met and he was unlikely to let her goad him into doing the sorts of moves the others were attempting), Katara watched with undisguised fondness for the two boys.

As they progressed through the movements, Ty Lee sidled up to Katara.

"Katara!" Ty Lee beamed. "Isn't Ember Island lovely this time of year? On the other side of the island, there's a town where Fire Nation kids go to party all the time."

"Right…" Katara wrapped her arms around herself and followed Ty Lee off to the side. "How are you guys doing?"

"Just peachy," Mai said glumly, finally tearing her eyes from Zuko- because of course, she was watching Zuko. "I hear you've been having fun, too."

The sight of Mai's face when she'd realised Zuko was in the prison with her swam in Katara's memory and guilt clawed at her stomach. Mai's eyes narrowed at her, as though thinking along similar lines; _You took him from me_.

Ty Lee glanced at her friend sadly and put a hand on her shoulder but Mai shrugged it off and stood abruptly as Aang and Zuko finished, their fists pressed close together to the sound of polite, cheerful applause.

"This is boring," she said darkly. "I'm going inside."

She pushed past Katara and strode into the house, Ty Lee watched her with wide, solemn eyes. "She really loves Zuko, you know," Ty Lee said. "She always has. Ever since we were children."

Katara hovered, uncertain. "Are you trying to make me feel bad?" She asked, pressing her back to the wall.

Ty Lee looked up to the sky. "Zuko and Azula are complicated people," She sighed. "I've known them for _forever_ \- practically our whole lives. Oh- hey," She turned suddenly. "Do you want to spar?"

"What?" Katara blinked. Hadn't she just been talking about her childhood? And everyone else was dancing... But Ty Lee grabbed her hand and dragged her out towards the ocean, away from the others.

"I used to train with Azula, too," Ty Lee smiled as she turned to face Katara. "And Zuko."

"Really," Katara pulled water around her in an octopus form, not wanting to leave any openings for Ty Lee to exploit.

Ty Lee nodded, and darted to one side, attempting a jab at Katara's shoulder but was whipped away by one of Katara's tentacles. "Zuko always favoured swords because his bending wasn't as good as Azula's."

"How old were they?" Katara asked, despite herself, sending a trail of water at Ty Lee's ankles, but the gymnast flipped away with a grin.

"Azula started bending at… I think, three? She used to _worship_ Zuko. Her big brother, Zu-zu. She was so proud to be able to bend like him... Their dad always said firebenders had no need for weapons- that fire was all they needed."

She skipped between two tentacles of water and Katara had to step back as she jabbed at where her chest had been seconds earlier. Katara brought a wall of ice between them and span around it as Ty Lee reached around to catch her. "But he got Zuko a sword teacher?"

"Nope," Ty Lee chirped. "That was Ursa's idea. Their mother."

Ah, the mother who had disappeared in the night, leaving her children alone with their monstrous father.

"Lady Ursa was scared of Azula," Ty Lee said simply, dodging an array of ice spikes with ease. "But oh, she _loved_ Zuko. There were rumours, you know… that he wasn't Lord Ozai's son, but the son of Lady Ursa's former lover."

"What?" Katara dropped her water in surprise, mind racing, and Ty Lee was behind her, jabbing quickly at one arm and rendering it useless. Gathering her thoughts, Katara brought a spray of water back in retaliation with her other arm, and Ty Lee cartwheeled back.

"We used to all play and train together. Mai, Me, Azula and Zuko," She went on, apparently done with that particular train of thought. "We all had issues with our families, I guess. We understood each other. Even Azula."

She darted around and caught Katara's other shoulder. Katara stood, helplessly as Ty Lee came to a stop in front of her.

"Zuko was a sweet kid," She said, looking almost sad. "He was kind and gentle, and then he got… banished," She straightened. "Mai really does love him, but I don't think we really know the 'him' that he is now. But," She went on. "You don't know the 'him' that he was. Both are important."

" _You_ don't know _me_ ," Katara said, more bravely than she felt, here on the beach, where Ty Lee could get rid of her quite easily without anyone knowing what had happened. "And I don't have to prove anything to you."

"No, I guess not," Ty Lee pondered, tapping her chin. "But my point is, you don't know us either."

Was the 'us' meant to include Zuko? Katara's eyes narrowed and she pushed past Ty Lee to march back to the house, tense and on edge. Where did that _circus freak_ get off? What was all of that? Telling Katara she didn't _know_ Zuko?

She had seen Zuko at his worst when he had burned down villages and chased them around the world, and she had seen him at his best when he had fought by their side, never given up on doing the _right thing_ and when he had let her practice _bloodbending_ on him because all he wanted to do was save the world…

She stormed into the courtyard, where Zuko turned to greet her and his eyes widened at her arms, limp at her side. "Are you okay? Ty Lee- what did you do?"

"No harm done!" Ty Lee chirped from behind her. "We just sparred. It was fun- I'll see you later, Katara!" She called. Zuko looked like he wanted to chase after, demand some answers, but Katara was lost in her own train of thought.

 _All he wants to do is save the world._

Sokka was right, and Katara had been selfish again.

After the war, if they won, Zuko would be Firelord, and Katara would return to the South Pole.

Unless what Ty Lee had hinted at was true.

"Katara?"

She looked up into his eyes and smiled faintly. "Sorry, I'm just tired. I think I might head to bed."

"Are you sure?" Aang asked, hand hovering over her limp, useless elbow. The others all seemed to have stopped too, and were staring at her dead arms in faint horror.

Zuko was giving her an odd look. "Let's go for a walk," He said authoritatively and strode away back towards the beach. Aang met Katara's eyes and shrugged. Katara would have shrugged back, but she couldn't, so she settled for raising her eyes skywards and trudged after her not-really-boyfriend.

The waning moon shone brightly above them and the cool sand slipped between her toes as she followed Zuko past where she had sparred with Ty Lee and on towards a rocky outcrop where the seam foamed and splashed against the black, volcanic rock.

"What happened?" Zuko asked finally, turning to look at her with arms folded. "Did Ty Lee say something?"

"No!" _Yes._ "We just sparred. Fighting Ty Lee is hard, and it wore me out."

He huffed through his nose, disbelievingly. "How are your arms?"

She frowned thoughtfully and gave her wingers an experimental wiggle. "I'm getting feeling back."

"Good," He said, sounding relieved. "We can practice your bloodbending here when you're ready."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you serious?" She demanded. "I thought we were done with that."

"We said we were going to test the limits and see what you could do," He lifted his chin and something in his expression made her tense. "We're not stopping just because Ty Lee said something weird."

"She didn't say anything weird," Katara insisted, hands balling into fists. "All she did was fight me and talk about your childhood."

She flexed her hands experimentally and found the effects of Ty Lee's chi-blocking had mostly work off. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her arms and met Zuko's eyes in silent question. He relaxed his body and nodded, though he looked distracted.

She took control of his legs first, making him walk around her in a circle at the shoreline where the seawater splashed over his bare feet and calves,

"Why would hearing about my childhood be a problem?" Zuko asked, looking confused. "You know everything important already…" He trailed off and Katara brought his arms up and turned him to face her, lifting one leg in an approximation of the first form of the Dancing Dragon. He looked down at himself and quirked an amused eyebrow.

"How does that feel?" She checked, holding him in place.

He cast an appraising eye over himself and huffed. "Okay. I feel like if I fought against it more I might fare better than last night."

"Okay," She agreed, hesitantly. "But watch your fingers."

He gave her a rueful smile and she felt her heart quicken despite herself, and as she moved him into the second step of the Dancing Dragon she could feel her control struggle against his will. The low kick of the form faltered as he tried to keep his legs still and she had to catch him by his blood him to prevent him from falling into the sand, freezing him nearly in mid-air. He blinked. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Me neither," She said, holding her breath and lifting him slightly from the sand. It was harder, carrying a body like this and she could feel sweat bead on her forehead. He was sweating too, she could see, and his jaw looked tense. "Does that hurt?"

"Yeah, a little," He admitted, and she set him back on the and, releasing him entirely as she flexed her fingers and tried to catch her breath. "That feels really strange."

Katara's hand went to her necklace, fiddling with it self consciously. "What did it feel like?"

"Kind of… aching," He looked at his hands, uncertainly. "Like my bones and blood ached and my body was moving in ways it shouldn't. Do you think you could lift me higher?"

She bit her lip, reluctantly. "It's much harder them moving your body normally," She said, shaking her head. "I don't think I could lift someone very high at all."

He nodded his head, thoughtfully, then straightened. "So, are you ready to tell me what Ty Lee said that upset you so much?"

Katara crossed her arms, and Zuko sat down on a rocky crop, waiting. She couldn't figure out exactly what it was that had made her so uneasy; the humanization of Azula, thinking of the princess as a little girl who had worshipped her brother, or the idea that she would never be able to slot into Zuko's life after the war. The idea of him taking the throne and leaving her behind was painful, but something else Ty Lee had said gave her a shameful, secret tinge of hope. If Zuko wasn't the Firelord's legitimate son, then would he be able to take the throne at all? Maybe Iroh could take a new wife, have more children... And Zuko could come to the South Pole with her.

"Are you sure you're the Firelord's son?" Katara blurted, and he stared at her.

"What?"

Katara got a heavy, sinking feeling in her stomach, but the words had been said and they couldn't be taken back.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ty Lee said there were rumours that… that you might be the result of an affair," she said. "She said that was why your mother loved you more than Azula."

"An affair," Zuko repeated with a sour tone, and Katara looked out to sea. She was desperately hoping for Zuko to reassure her, to tell her it was ok. But she was the one responsible for the way this conversation was going. "There are always rumours at court," _at court-_ he said it so easily, as though it was part of day-to-day life. What a different world he had lived in, "Why would you pay attention to them?"

"Because it might mean you could stay with me!" Katara cried, slapping a hand over her mouth as soon as she'd said it. She didn't dare look at him, even as she watched from the corner of her eye. He stared at her, his expression faint by the light of the moon.

The silence stretched between them, all the louder with the faint sounds of celebration in the background, broken by the endless, crashing waves.

When he spoke, it was heartbreakingly quiet and unsure. "I thought you would stay with me."

Katara clenched her fists, tears pooling in her eyes and she tried to blink them away. She wanted to stay with him, she realised. They'd travelled the Fire Nation extensively, meeting people of different backgrounds and she'd seen how hard they worked, how similar they were to anyone in the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribes. She loved the people of the Fire Nation far more than she'd expected to, but.

But.

She was so confused.

So again, she decided to take what she could get. She turned to Zuko, who was watching her with that awful, lost expression on his face and she gave him a wobbly smile. "I want to stay with you," She said, though it was only half the truth. He visibly slumped in relief and she reached for him, threading their fingers together.

He whispered, almost to himself. "Maybe it's worth looking into. Maybe my mother's alive somewhere, with another man…" Another father, perhaps, Katara thought, squeezing his hand and pressing her forehead to his. A father who would love his son as a parent should.

Maybe Zuko didn't need to rule. Maybe they could find somewhere peaceful to live together. There was a little whisper in her that told her she was being ridiculous, that it was a fantasy, but she smiled through it and kissed Zuko softly. "Maybe your Uncle knows something," she said. "And once the war is over we'll find her."

He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled down at her gratefully. It wasn't the time, Katara thought to herself as he ducked his head to kiss her in the moonlight, to tell him that no matter how much she wanted to, she still wasn't sure she could stay with him after the war.

She might be selfish, but she would only keep him to herself until the world needed him more and by Tui and La, she would take what she could get.

.

 _Just a shorter chapter this time- a bit of a breather before the plot moves on to show a little of how the group are interacting together. Also, this is a good opportunity to fit in some nice Zutara moments before things kick off again!_

 _I wasn't in the right headspace to move the plot forward this week and needed to write something that was just a bit more… human-interaction-y? (If that makes sense) as my mum was admitted to the hospital. So that may explain the slightly sombre tone this chapter has taken and the 'take each moment as it comes' mentality Katara's in._

 _Mum is hopefully on the mend now and thankfully my work was very accommodating so I could make the 4 ½ hour trip to help out at home for a couple of days. Also, my partner may be diagnosed with something long-term and nasty soon... So there's a lot going on in the OwlAway household!_

 _In case any NHS workers are on here- thank you for everything you do. I know you guys are under a lot of pressure at the moment but I'm very grateful to the GP and hospital workers who got my mum checked out quickly and acted in time to prevent the need for surgery. You guys do a great job with fairly limited resources and it never goes unnoticed (we just might be in a bit of a tizzy and not get the chance to thank you properly)._

 _Comments are always appreciated and help to keep me writing this story. I've been having a blast with this and I'm very thankful for the response this has gotten so far._


	17. Important Allies

The following morning they split up and bade goodbye to the Duke and Teo who were going to stay at Ember Island where they'd be safe, much to their annoyance. "Think of it this way," Sokka said to them. "If we fail, this will be a safe house for us to come back to and plan our next move. We need you guys to hold down the fort, ok?"

Teo frowned but agreed, and the Duke stormed off to his room, too annoyed at being treated like a kid to say goodbye properly. "We'll see you soon, whatever happens," Aang promised Teo and the boy clasped his arm firmly in farewell.

"Kick his ass," Teo grinned and Aang bowed his head, climbing up onto Appa.

The group had divided mostly in half, with the Fire Nation girls travelling by the slower but comparatively comfortable war balloon with Sokka, Suki, Hakoda and Haru, leaving Aang to lead with Appa carrying Toph, Zuko and Katara.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the old man again," Toph grinned, stretching out on Appa's saddle with a satisfied grin. "And to some real action! Hanging around in that house made me soft."

"Toph, you were training every day," Aang pointed out. "I have so many bruises from sparring you."

"Yeah, exactly!" Toph sighed exaggeratedly. "I need a real challenge."

Katara stifled a giggle, causing Toph to smirk. Aang exchanged a defeated look with Zuko, who leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

.

Iroh's camp was just a little west of Ba Sing Se, according to his coded message, and they made it to the camp on Appa within the day. The war balloon wasn't expected for another day at least due to its speed and the weight it was carrying, but by lightening Appa's load the conspicuous sky bison could move quickly to avoid detection.

"Risky, setting up camp here so soon after Azula took Ba Sing Se," Zuko said, as they came down to land at the campsite. "I wonder what Uncle's thinking."

"Maybe he's trying to send a message," Aang suggested. "Make it easy for defectors to join him."

Well, they were all here to send a message, Katara thought to herself. Katara was wearing brazenly Water Tribe clothing, with her hair in its traditional loops, Aang had altered his clothing to more formal monks' robes and Zuko had worn his finer clothing that he'd taken from the palace. Toph… well, Toph was dressed the same as ever.

The afternoon sun glinted warmly off Zuko's crown and he swallowed hard as a group of Fire Nation soldiers came to meet them, along with a grey-haired, beaming man in dark blue clothes. Iroh. His hand briefly tightened over hers before he let her go, and disembarked with Aang.

Iroh practically swallowed Zuko in a tight hug. "Nephew," He said, voice shaking slightly. "It is so _good_ to see you," He leaned back with his hands on Zuko's shoulders and beamed up at him, a little tearfully. "It is an honour to receive you, Prince Zuko and Avatar Aang."

The use of both Aang's and Zuko's titles seemed to prompt something and the welcome party all bowed low to the boys, kneeling and bending in respect. Even Iroh bowed, which sent a frisson of unease through Katara at the implication.

Iroh's bow, so deep and respectful to his young nephew, suggested he had no intention of taking the throne. The older man beamed benevolently at Toph and Katara as they got down behind the boys. "Master Katara, Master Toph," He gave them each a smaller bow in turn. "I trust the others are not far behind?"

"Sokka's coming with my father and the others by war balloon," Katara nodded and Iroh's eyebrows rose. "We captured it when we were attacked by Azula after breaking some war prisoners out of Boiling Rock."

Iroh blinked at her, stunned. Several of the Fire Nation soldiers began to whisper to each other in awe. "Is this true?" Iroh asked, mostly to himself, but Zuko nodded. "How remarkable. I have never heard of prisoners escaping Boiling Rock. That is a great achievement."

Zuko tried valiantly to suppress a pleased smile at his Uncle's praise, but his lips quirked upwards anyway. With a smile, Iroh led them through the camp to his private tent.

"Tell me everything," He urged as they sat at the low table, where Iroh began to pour them all tea. Zuko explained how they'd gotten into Boiling Rock and found Suki. The smile on Iroh's face faltered. "Yes, we did that village a grave injustice," Iroh sighed. "But the Kyoshi Warriors are strong, and we will return to help them rebuild soon."

Zuko's face coloured at the reminder of his own actions, and Katara reached to squeeze his hand. "We also found two of Azula's friends there too. She locked them up for letting Zuko get away on the day of the eclipse."

"Mai and Ty Lee?" Iroh said, thoughtfully, eyes lingering on where Katara's hand still clasped Zuko's. "Such unusual girls."

"They've joined us," Aang beamed. "Just like the soldiers did."

Iroh's eyebrows raised further. "That is very interesting."

"Something's wrong with Azula," Zuko interjected, his hand tightening on Katara's with barely disguised anxiety. "She's more... unbalanced than before."

"I agree," Iroh nodded. "Azula has always had a vicious streak, but the reports we're getting from inside the Fire Nation are concerning. The people are hungry for change and seeing you, four children from each of the nations working together in harmony, gives me hope that they will get it," Iroh sat back with a smile, eyes once again fixed on Katara and Zuko's clasped hands.

Aang, Katara and Toph left Zuko alone with his Uncle for a proper catch-up, just the two of them, after they had filled Iroh in on most of their activities since leaving him previously. "It's nice how much Gramps loves Prince Sulky," Toph sighed, cracking her knuckles absently. "He was so excited to hear about your trip to meet the Dragons."

"Yeah," Aang smiled. "It's so weird to think that only a few months ago they were our enemies, and now we're all friends."

"I think Sugar Queen and Zuko are a little more than _friends_ ," Toph teased, making Katara's face flush scarlet.

Aang laughed good-naturedly at her visible discomfort. "Well, sure. I wouldn't want to get _that_ close to Zuko."

"Oh my goodness, please stop," Katara covered her face with her hands as the two younger benders giggled at her expense. "You guys are too embarrassing."

"We're not the ones holding hands with our _boyfriend_ in front of his _Uncle_ ," Toph teased, and Katara buried her face further into her hands. The unfortunate side effect of this was that she was no longer watching where she was going and it felt like the earth moved beneath her feet to send her tumbling to the floor.

"Ah, Katara!" She looked up in surprise to see Jeong-Jeong looking down at her with a smile. He was dressed the same way Iroh was, in long, dark blue robes with a silver collar. He smiled and helped her to her feet. "You should watch where you're going."

"Jeong-Jeong!" Aang cried, running up and bowing to his erstwhile master. "It's so good to see you!"

"I hope it's good to see me too, Aang," Bumi grinned, coming into view. Overjoyed, Aang nearly fell over his own feet, throwing his arms around his childhood friend.

Katara stared as Piandao and Pakku emerged from the tent behind them. "How do you guys all know each other?" She breathed. "You're all from different places…"

"Didn't you know?" Bumi giggled. "All old people know each other."

"But how did you escape?" Aang asked, stepping back. "You were at Omashu…"

"I was just waiting for the right moment," Bumi winked. "Omashu was liberated during the eclipse."

So the day had not been a total failure after all- Omashu had been retaken by the Earth Kingdom and if the camp was anything to go by, more soldiers had defected than she'd dared hope. They could win this.

Toph grinned and punched King Bumi in the side. "Yes! Not bad for an old man."

"Master Pakku," Katara bowed. "It's a great honour to see you again."

The old man's eyes sparked with fond amusement, and he returned her bow. "And you, Master Katara," He responded, the use of her title giving her a thrill of pride. "But I hope you will call me 'Grandfather' now."

"Grandfather?"

"I have reunited with my Kanna," Pakku smiled fondly. "And we are married."

"That's great!" Katara enthused. "So you've joined her in the South Pole?" She secretly hoped her grandmother hadn't moved North and tried to suppress a sigh of relief when Pakku nodded. "I'm really happy for you," and she was, truly. It had been clear to her in the North Pole that Pakku loved her Gran-Gran dearly, and it was heartening that their past transgressions had not stopped them from finding one another again. The thought appealed to her romantic side and besides, it was cute- the idea of two old people falling in love with each other.

"Where is Sokka? And Prince Zuko?" Piandao asked smoothly. "I was sorry not to see the Prince when you visited last time but I thought there was probably a good reason he didn't come with you."

"Sokka's on his way," Katara confirmed. "And Zuko's with Iroh at the moment…"

"Master Piandao," Zuko greeted the swordmaster from behind them, and she turned to see Zuko bowing formally, in respect. The sun glinted off the crown in his hair and, surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers with his Uncle at his side, he looked as regal as she had ever seen him. "It is a great honour to see you again."

"Prince Zuko," Piandao bowed low. "The honour is mine. There is much to discuss, I believe."

"It can wait," Zuko nodded. "We will convene when Sokka arrives with the others," He paused. "But of course, we should all dine together this evening."

The formal way of speaking felt so at odds with the halting, awkward Zuko she knew. It felt as though the crown went on and he changed into this smooth, polished prince whose calm demeanour carried the weight of generations of royalty. He seemed in his element here, surging with quiet confidence as he made plans with Aang and the older men. It was diplomacy, she realised, and the quiet pride in Iroh's face as he did so told her this was exactly what the older man wanted.

Iroh had no intention of taking the throne. He had spent years grooming Zuko to be the sort of leader the Fire Nation needed after the fire and blood of the past hundred years. Iroh's eyes slid to meet hers and he gave her a slight nod.

Zuko and Aang were whisked away to tour the camp and meet with other defectors, leavng Toph and Katara to entertain themselves with sparring and training for the rest of the day. When a messenger arrived at the training grounds to summon them for dinner, they had managed to destroy roughly two acres of riverside ground from their efforts, and the messenger paled at the sight. "Um, Master Toph, Master Katara? The Grand Master requests your presence at dinner… Would you like me to tell him you need time to get ready?"

Katara looked down at herself and Toph, noting the messy, tangled hair and dusty, dishevelled clothes. "No, we're good," Toph chirped. Katara stared at her, before shaking the thoughts of 'not-looking-right' from her head. It was silly to get self-conscious now; they were warriors and Masters of their elements. They worked hard for their achievements and they were on the eve of what could possibly be the hardest battle of their lives. They were not pampered ladies destined to look pretty and be married off to the most prosperous match.

"Toph's right," Katara grinned at the messenger. "We're good."

.

Thankfully, despite the concern of the messenger, dinner was a fairly relaxed affair, with the members of the White Lotus scattered around Iroh's tent on low cushions, helpfing themselves to food off a large, central table in a buffet-style. Iroh had saved seats for Toph and Katara beside Aang and Zuko and Toph sat quickly beside Aang with a sly grin. Face flaming, Katara took her place at Zuko's side, a little off to one side.

He gave her a warm smile as she did so. "You guys look like you've had a good time."

"We pretty much destroyed the riverside area," Katara confirmed as she took a hearty gulp of water. "It was fun."

"Uncle's been introducing us to the soldiers," Zuko sighed. "It feels weird."

"They want to see who they defected for," Katara murmured back. "I can understand that."

He frowned slightly but didn't say anything in response. Iroh led the general conversation, confirming everyone knew each other and explaining the purpose of their society, the White Lotus. That explained the little white tile Piandao had given to Sokka, it had been a token of acceptance, and unity.

"Sokka will be so pleased to see you," Aang beamed at Piandao. "All of you. You have helped us so much and I'm so grateful to have you all on our side."

The older men murmured in agreement and as the conversation continued, Zuko's hand found Katara's and he gave it the gentlest of squeezes. She looked up at him enquiringly. "I asked my Uncle about my Mother."

"Oh?" Katara breathed, eyes flicking involuntarily to Iroh, but he was listening avidly to something Aang was explaining. "What did he say?"

"Not much about the rumours," Zuko poked absently at his plate. "He wasn't around her a lot in the early days, but apparently I was born about a year after their marriage, and she wasn't often unattended. My Grandfather and Father kept a close eye on her because they didn't trust her."

Katara frowned. "Why?"

"It's… not usual to marry for love among Fire Nation royalty," Zuko's voice dropped impossibly low. "My mother never intended to marry my father, but they found out that she was descendant of Avatar Roku and they... sought her out but... she was already engaged." His hands shook slightly. "They took her away, anyway."

"Oh…" Katara stared down at her plate, trying to imagine Zuko's mother as a newlywed woman, unable to leave her home because her husband and father-in-law didn't trust her. "That's… really sad."

"Yeah," Zuko sounded defeated. "I had no idea."

"Does he know what happened to her?" Katara asked gently, but Zuko shook his head, looking pained.

"She vanished the night my Grandfather died. He doesn't know any more than that."

Katara gave his hand a squeeze in return. "I'm sorry," The words weren't enough, and she wasn't sure how to help him but he gave her a small, sad smile and ran his thumb over her knuckles in reassurance that he was okay.

"There are other things to focus on right now," He assured her.

He was right. A shout erupted from outside the tent and they all stood as a scout came through the flaps, looking pale. "A Fire Nation war balloon is coming in, to land!"

Piandao drew his swords but Katara and Aang exchanged grins. "It's okay," Katara explained, leading her friends out to meet the warship, from which a very familiar face was waving eagerly. "It's my brother."

.

Hakoda and Sokka were eager to get on with planning; they had apparently done nothing else on board the war balloon (to Suki's chagrin). And they all stayed up making plans into the night, gathered at the fire pit outside Iroh's tent.

The finer points kept changing, but it essentially boiled down to breaking up into three main groups; one to retake Ba Sing Se, one to go into the Fire Nation Capital and one to go with Aang to the coast of the Earth Kingdon to face the Firelord.

The only constants were Aang and Zuko. The plan hinged on Aang being the one to take out Firelord Ozai and Zuko being in the Capital to take the throne.

Katara had known that would be the plan, but hearing it cemented made her look away. Zuko's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "But Uncle," He frowned. "You were always meant to be Firelord, as Grandfather's firstborn…"

"I have too many sins to my name," Iroh said, gently. He didn't say it as though the knowledge weighed him down, but there was an air of regret. "I was the one who led the siege against Ba Sing Se all those years ago, and I was the one to kill the last dragon… the world knows me as a tyrant and a warlord. I cannot take the throne. It must go to someone with a pure heart, an idealist. It _must_ be you, Prince Zuko. You are the one who our countrymen are defecting for. History will remember you as the banished prince returning to save the Fire Nation with unquestionable honour."

"Unquestionable honour?" Zuko's fists clenched and he glared into the fire.

"You've struggled; you've suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honour, and only you can restore the honour of the Fire Nation. Only you can heal its scars."

Iroh glanced to Katara with a smile and she met his gaze head-on. Zuko's hand went to touch the left side of his face absently, still lost in the fire.

"Azula will be waiting for you," Mai said, and Zuko's eyes snapped to hers. "Firelord Ozai has been distancing her from him since her return from Ba Sing Se. He would not want her to be part of the burning."

At her side, Ty Lee's hands clenched. "It's true. Azula kept saying he was…" She grimaced, "Treating her like Zuko."

Neither Fire Nation girl had said much during the planning, and to many of those around the campfire, their loyalties were still in question. Sokka shifted uncomfortably at their words but Zuko nodded, seeming vindicated somehow. "Right, I see," He looked to Iroh. "We won't be able to take the throne with Azula waiting for us. She'd do anything to make the Fatherlord happy."

"Firelord," Toph interjected and he turned to glare at her.

"That's what I said!" He turned to Katara. "Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?"

"It would be my pleasure," Katara said with a grim smile. She wasn't sure she'd be able to bloodbend, but she was a master waterbender and there was nowhere she'd rather be than by his side when they took down Azula. Zuko smiled at her gratefully.

"It would also be advisable to have the Fire Nation defectors at your back," Hakoda interjected. "You kids are going to need a proper backup force. I'll come with you and lead the effort to break into the prison. You'll have the full backup of the Southern Water Tribe Warriors when the time comes."

Zuko smiled back at Hakoda. "Thank you Chief Hakoda."

"I'll be with you too," Haru nodded firmly. "My father's in that prison and we're going to get him out."

So it was agreed; the members of the White Lotus would retake Ba Sing Se, Aang would head to the shores of the Earth Kingdom with Suki and Toph to fend off the invading Fire Nation, and Zuko would lead the Fire Nation soldiers, Hakoda, Haru, Mai, Ty Lee and Katara into the Capital to free the war prisoners and lead a coup. This would mean if all went to plan, the Firelord would die without Zuko ever having to see him again.

Zuko would never get the chance to confront his father. The thought carried a hollow triumph; Firelord Ozai would never get the chance to hurt his son again, but Zuko would never get closure.

Aang was looking at Zuko with a solemn frown, clearly thinking along the same lines. "Zuko, are you alright with this?" He asked as the older men went into Iroh's tent to drink. "You'll never see your father again."

Zuko swallowed and shook his head. "I don't have anything to say to him. He's not worth my time," He stood abruptly. "I just… need a minute."

"I feel awful," Aang mumbled, curling into himself and staring into the fire. "I really hate this."

"You have no choice, Aang," Sokka muttered darkly. "This is the only way to end the war."

"He's right," Mai agreed quietly, eyes fixed firmly on the spot where Zuko had disappeared between two tents. Suki watched the Fire Nation girls with interest.

"We should spar," Suki smiled, holding tightly onto Sokka's hand. "Us non-benders should get some real practice in now we're back on solid ground."

"Oh!" Ty Lee's eyes lit up but Mai was already standing.

"It's late, I'm going to bed," Mai said, standing. Ty Lee moved to follow her but Mai held out a hand. "You can spar if you like. You don't have to follow me around all the time."

Ty Lee watched Mai leave with her chin resting in her hand. "Katara, do you want to practice sparring too? I can tell you more about Azula's style."

Katara blinked, distracted from thoughts of following after Zuko, she debated the merits of Ty Lee's suggestion after the emotional rollercoaster of the last sparring session she'd had with the gymnast. On the one hand, she could lose control of her body again but, on the other hand, it would be good to spar with the non-benders. Fun, even. "Sure."

.

Katara left the others to continue sparring when the moon was high. She thought it was about time to find Zuko for their nightly bloodbending practice. It would also give them a chance to discuss the plans for the day of the comet.

Because of course, Katara would fight alongside him for this right to the throne and yes, Iroh was right; Zuko was the Firelord that the Fire Nation needed. He was the Firelord the world deserved.

"Just think about it."

Katara paused in her approach of Zuko's tent at the familiar voice. Mortified, she ducked behind one of the other tents as a shadow neared the entrance and Mai lifted one side of the tent flap. "I will. Thanks," Zuko's voice was earnest, and grateful, and he stood at the tent entrance watching Mai leave.

Katara paused. She was desperately curious as to what he'd spoken about with Mai but something held her back.

She had just about made up her mind to leave when he went to close the tent and spotted her. "Katara?" He asked, sounding amused. "Are you spying on me?"

"No," She choked out, embarrassed to have been caught. "I was just coming to see if you were alright… which you clearly _are_ ," Oh okay, so she was a little jealous. She _was_ only fourteen, though... and another girl had been having some secret rendezvous in Zuko's tent.

Zuko held open the tent flap for her. "Do you want to come in?"

She did want to, and the smile he gave her as she approached was irritatingly open and sincere. When she entered the tent, she couldn't help looking around it with narrowed eyes, as though expecting to find rumpled sheets and love letters. Instead, she found it neat and tidy without even empty cups to show he'd had a visitor. "What did Mai want?" She asked, mentally cringing at the slight edge that crept into her voice.

Zuko didn't seem to notice, and just rummaged in a small chest for two cups. "Oh, she just wanted to talk," He pulled out a teapot and slowly began to prepare some tea. "Sorry I ran off earlier," He said, looking focused on heating the water.

Katara sat down beside him with a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. Do you want to talk about it?" She touched the back of his shoulder lightly, and he sighed.

"Not really," He muttered and handed her a cup. She took a sip, mentally ready for the distinctive bitter quality of Zuko's tea and managing not to spit any of it out.

Katara wasn't sure what to say, so she rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped one arm around her, shifting so that they were a little more comfortable on the scattered cushions that surrounded the low table. She could hear the rhythm of his heartbeat in his chest and she closed her eyes, savouring the warmth of him.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it," Zuko admitted quietly. "I've not seen my father since the Agni Kai, and now I'll never be able to tell him…" He trailed off, and Katara waited in silence. She could hear his heart pick up and his breathing shudder. "He was trying to punish me, to teach me a lesson, but it led to me travelling with my uncle and joining you guys... burning me was the _best_ thing he ever did for me, and he'll never know."

She turned and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry," She whispered into his neck, holding him tightly because she wasn't sure what else to say; she _was_ sorry that he had such a terrible father, she _was_ sorry that he was helping to train Aang to kill him but she wasn't sorry that the Firelord was going to die. He deserved to die.

Zuko had never said anything against the decision to kill Ozai, Katara had heard late night conversations between him and Aang in which he actively reassured the young Avatara that it was the right decision, but still… it was his father. Zuko would never get to look the man in the eyes and tell him what he'd done to his son. He'd never get the chance to tell him how Iroh had filled the hole Ozai had burned in his son's life or how he'd struggled and fought and learned lessons Ozai could never have taught him.

"I'm not," Zuko said when his breathing had finally evened out. "I'm not sorry at all."

She looked up at him. His eyes were bright as he smiled down at her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, looking down at her with such surety it left her a little breathless.

When he kissed her it was with almost bruising intensity and she clung to him, returning the kiss with equal force. Time slipped away and it felt like nothing existed outside of them and this moment as his hands gripped at her waist. She could feel her blood pounding through her body as she pressed herself closer, holding him tighter, kissing him harder.

Her fingers wound into his hair and clung to the back of his neck. He slid his hands along her spine, sending frissons of electric energy up her sides and prompting her to press herself impossibly closer to him, pulling him closer and gasping for breath between heavy kisses.

She could nearly feel his blood thrumming beneath her hands as he fell backwards, bringing her down with him and lifting one hand to ghost fingers across the edge of her jaw. She moved against him and he paused, pulling his head back and holding her face gently.

"Katara."

"Hmm?" She hummed, leaning down to kiss him again, more gently this time.

Her eyes opened slowly to see him staring up at her, mouth open with slightly swollen lips. "We should slow down."

"Ah," She felt her face warm and buried her face in his chest, fighting the urge to giggle wildly. "Sorry."

His chest shook beneath her with suppressed laughter as she awkwardly slid one of her legs back over his lap and settled beside him on the floor. "Don't be sorry," He hummed, stroking her hair and lifting his legs slightly, now free from the weight of her straddling him. He slightly adjusted his clothing and let out a breathy, awkward laugh. "Sorry."

She wrapped her arms tight around his middle and laughed into his chest, heart still pounding. "Don't be sorry," She parroted back to him, giggling with dizzy exhilaration. Once she no longer felt like her face was _quite_ so embarrassingly red, she lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, smiling down at him. He had his eyes closed but one side of his mouth was lifted in a slight grin.

 _I love you_. She thought and opened her mouth to say it, but his eyes opened and he looked down at her. The words caught in her throat and she rested her head back on his chest instead, closing her eyes and listening to his heartbeat as he resumed the gentle stroking of her hair.

It danced and skipped in his chest as she ran her fingers lightly up and down the side of his ribcage. They lay in contented silence and his heartbeat settled into a steadier, more rhythmic beat. Katara could feel her own heart settle and breathed deeply, enjoying the closeness and the feeling of his hand against the back of her head.

Zuko shifted beneath her and she opened her eyes, blinking against the sudden brightness of the tent in confusion. She pushed herself up off of Zuko and squinted around the tent in confusion. Zuko leaned up on his elbows and blinked at her, his hair sticking up at odd angles.

"Morning," He nodded and she frowned in confusion; she'd only closed her eyes for a moment… _oh_. He seemed to catch on at the same moment that she did, and they both blushed. "Uh-"

"Oh _no_." Katara breathed.

He frowned, looking a little insulted. " _Thanks_."

"No- I… I'm meant to be sharing a tent with Toph."

He paled. Toph was the one roommate you couldn't ever convince that she _just_ missed you climbing into bed later in the night. "Oh."

Katara smoothed her rumpled clothing and clambered to her feet, mind racing for excuses and finding none. She lurched for the tent flaps, paused, and swooped back to Zuko for a quick, lingering kiss. "I'll see you later," She murmured against his mouth and he smiled.

"Good luck."

Grinning a little stupidly, Katara snuck out into the early morning sunshine and slipped through the tents towards the one she shared with Toph. "Morning, Sweetness- how's Prince Sulky?" Toph grinned as she slipped into the tent.

"Shut up," Katara hissed, blushing furiously as she gathered a change of clothes and dashed out to get washed and ready for the day ahead.

As it was, the following few days passed in something of a blur; the teenagers would spar each other and train with the Fire Nation soldiers for long, aching days, preparing Aang for his looming battle with Firelord Ozai.

Katara and Zuko continued to practice bloodbending at night together, though Katara could feel her control wane with the moon and Katara would return to her tent after midnight with a red face to an increasingly teasing Toph.

It couldn't last, though. As the day of the comet loomed closer, the mood grew steadily more sombre.

In what felt like to time at all, it was the night before the comet, and the soldiers readied the warships for their journey into the Fire Nation. Zuko and the so-called 'infiltration team' were heading into the Fire Nation under the cover of darkness to get to the prison first and make sure their numbers were the best they could be.

Sokka pulled his father and sister into a tight, silent hug and Katara closed her eyes tightly as she held onto him. Not for the last time, she told herself, but she still felt the tears well in her eyes. "Be careful," Sokka hissed in her ear.

" _You_ be careful."

They pulled apart slightly and Katara spotted Aang over Sokka's shoulder, hanging back from the Water Tribe family with a soft smile. Katara stepped forward and landed a hand on either of the smaller boy's shoulders. "You can do it," she said firmly. "I believe in you."

He smiled up at her, a little wobbly but determined. "You too," He said with a nod. "I'll see you really soon, okay?"

"Okay," She agreed and pulled him into a bone-crushingly tight hug. It felt like a lifetime ago that she'd found him in the iceberg. So much had happened. "I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too," Aang hugged her tightly.

Strong arms wrapped around them both and Sokka bent his head to touch both of their foreheads. "Stay safe," He urged Katara. "And look after Dad."

"Hey!" Hakoda called from somewhere behind Katara and they separated, giggling quietly. They were family, Katara thought to herself, waving cheerily to Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph as she boarded the warship with her father, heading onto the desk to join Mai, Ty Lee and Haru.

Off to one side and yet to board, she could see Iroh holding Zuko close and whispering his own fervent goodbyes. The two firebenders pulled away from each other and Iroh bowed deep to his nephew. Zuko was dressed in traditional Fire Nation armour with his crown pinning his hair in place. In the moonlight, it looked almost silver.

With a quick bow of his head, the prince turned and boarded the ship in silence, his eyebrows furrowed and expression determined. As the war balloons lifted into the sky, he stood at her side and watched the figures of their friends and family getting steadily smaller.

"This is it, then," Ty Lee said, almost to herself. "We're really doing this."

"We really are." Katara nodded, reaching out to brush the back of Zuko's hand with her own. He barely reacted, lost in his own thoughts but his fingers flexed against hers out of instinct, and she looped her little finger around his.

 _We're coming for you, Azula._ She thought as she watched the waving figures of her brother and friends get smaller, disappearing beneath a layer of cloud. _You don't stand a chance._

But something in her gut twisted in warning.

.

 _._

 _I wanted to fit in some more preparation but this chapter was running a little long so I've kept the more zutara-y scenes and I hope you'll forgive the background prep staying a bit more... in the background. Next chapter is *probably* the last one. We'll see how long it gets... and I'm toying with the idea of a sequel. I can clearly see what story it would follow, but I'm not sure if you guys would want a sequel... If not, I'll just add an epilogue. Thank you for all the well-wishes. Life is pretty chaotic at the moment but I'm enjoying writing this and getting the lovely comments and feedback from all of you. Especially those of you who leave comments every chapter! You guys are the absolute best. Thank you. You make this story all the more fun to write!_


	18. Someone Important

"This should be it," Mai confirmed, and Haru turned to look at her, sweat gleaming on his forehead in the light of one of the soldiers' fireballs.

"You sure?"

"No."

Haru looked up at the ceiling, breathing hard. They had dug beneath the caldera from their landing point on the other side of the volcano, not wanting to risk being seen between the palace and the harbour. "I think so too," Ty Lee whispered and a couple of the soldiers nodded their agreement.

With a determined nod, Haru began pulling earth from above them, lifting the infiltration team up on a platform. The soldiers hunkered down, weapons readied and Katara popped open the lid of her water flask on one hip, silently wondering whether the moon would be strong enough to bloodbend if needed.

But, when they emerged into the prison courtyard, there was no sign of life.

The moon shone brightly above them, and stars filled the sky, illuminating the darkened, silent courtyard. Two of the soldiers - it was difficult to tell who when they were in full armour - hurried ahead of the group to scout the main vestibule. Katara and the others remained clustered in the courtyard, listening.

"This isn't right," Hakoda muttered darkly. "Does the fire Nation always leave its prisons unguarded at night?"

"No," That sounded like Lieutenant Jee. "Never."

"It must be a trap," Another soldier hissed. "Prince Zuko- what should we do?"

Zuko was looking up at the sky in the vague direction of the palace with a frown. "It could be… Or my sister could have really lost her mind." He said thoughtfully. "Mai, Ty Lee?"

The girls looked to each other. "Before she imprisoned us, she banished a servant girl for filing her nails too short… But I'm not sure she'd have left a prison so… empty," Ty Lee said, slowly.

Zuko nodded. "Chief Hakoda, Lieutenant Jee, what do you think?"

The older men frowned. "It's too risky, especially after what happened last time," Hakoda said, eventually and Jee nodded.

"The princess may have set traps in the prison, and they could endanger the lives of the prisoners as well as our own. I advise against it, your Highness."

"No," Haru countered. "My father is in there. We have to _try_."

Zuko looked back to the prison with a frown. "We have to try," He repeated and sighed. "Yes. Will any soldiers here volunteer to continue with the rescue?" After a moment's hesitation, a few soldiers stepped forwards with a bow and Zuko smiled tightly. "Thank you for your bravery. Continue with the rescue plan. We will meet you at the palace. Good luck."

Jee bowed his agreement and stepped forward. "I'll join them too. Look after yourself, Prince Zuko."

He bowed low, and Zuko nodded, looking a little pale.

"Come on," Katara looked up at her dad, his face hard beneath the pale light of the moon. "We need to get going."

Without Haru, they had no choice but to make their way to the palace on foot. Zuko led them over rooftops and through back alleyways as they gradually made their way up. The streets were eerily quiet, and Katara exchanged a worried look with her father.

Ty Lee held up a hand, suddenly, and the small group stilled, crouching low to avoid detection. Footsteps echoed off the walls of the houses and Katara could see the faint glow of a lantern move down one of the alleyways in their direction. Katara crept to the edge of the roof, ignoring Hakoda's whispered protests and looked over the edge.

A young soldier was walking through the streets, looking pale and afraid. Wordlessly, Ty Lee dropped to the cobbled pavement behind him and with a quick succession of pokes, rendered him limp in her arms. She kept his mouth covered and Zuko dropped down in front of him.

When he saw Zuko, the soldier's eyes widened and he spluttered frantically into Ty Lee's hand. Zuko stepped close and glared down at him. "If you shout for help, it's over," He threatened. "Nod if you understand."

The young man nodded and Ty Lee slowly removed her hand, revealing the soldier's panicked face. "You're the traitor prince..." He breathed, and Zuko stiffened slightly.

"Where is everyone?"

The soldier clamped his mouth shut, looking terrified. Hakoda went to jump down but one of the other Fire Nation soldiers beat him to it, standing at Zuko's side. "Tell us what's going on. Has the Firelord left for the Earth Kingdom yet?"

The soldier gritted his teeth. "His Majesty, the _Phoenix King_ is already gone. You don't stand a _chance_ of defeating him. He is going to rain fire and fury on-"

"Good," Zuko said, coolly, and nodded to Ty Lee. She knocked the young soldier out and tied his hands together. "So the majority of the firebenders will be out of the city," He muttered darkly.

"Good for us," Hakoda tried to reassure him, but Zuko's frown simply deepened. "Come on, Zuko. We need to keep moving."

Something about the way Katara's dad seemed to have taken it upon himself to keep Zuko moving forward and the unwavering reassurance in the way he landed a heavy hand on Zuko's shoulder with a grim smile made Katara smile softly to herself. But they had to keep moving, and as they neared the palace, they could finally see where everyone was.

It was dark, but people were bustling around the palace grounds, laying out carpets and preparing lanterns. "What is she doing?" Ty Lee asked, watching in confusion.

Zuko's eyes were hard. "They're crowning her Firelord."

"But your father?" Katara asked, and Mai shook her head.

"That soldier before- he called Ozai the Phoenix King. I remember Azula talking about a new world order but to act so soon…"

"Firelord Ozai's arrogance knows no bounds," A soldier hissed and Katara blinked in surprise. _Kei?_ She was alright. The female soldier was glaring out at the palace. "He's crowned himself king of the world before he's even won the war."

Zuko's hands tightened on air and his jaw clenched. The sun was beginning to rise and she could see the colour of fury in his cheeks. "Of course he has," He hissed. "And Azula's crowning herself Firelord prematurely."

"She'll be in the spa," Mai said dispassionately. "We could catch her by surprise…"

But she never finished her sentence. The Caldera shook with the great, thundering force of the explosion and they turned in horror to see the prison, halfway down the side of the volcano, was blazing and burning. "No!" Zuko hissed, and Hakoda held him in place as he jerked towards the prison- to do what, she wasn't sure, but his hands were on fire.

Thick, dark smoke billowed into the early morning sky and Katara's eyes travelled up to see it fade into the atmosphere, faint grey tendrils just barely touching...

"It's time," She breathed through tears. When did she start crying? "The Comet."

High in the sky, she could see the slow advance of what looked like a tiny, red star.

Zuko's fire flared and he turned to glare back at the palace. "Azula," He hissed. "She knew we'd go to the prison first…" He stood abruptly, not caring who saw him anymore and the sun seemed to set his crown ablaze. "Katara, Hakoda- You go back to the prison, help the others," He threw back over his shoulder. "The rest of us will go to the palace."

"What?" Katara hissed, lunging to catch his sleeve but he was glaring over her head. "We're meant to be doing this together-"

"Go," Mai said coolly, but not unkindly. She frowned back up at the palace from behind Zuko and Katara felt a sting in her chest. "It's best not to involve foreigners in this."

"Excuse me?" Hakoda asked, disbelievingly. "We've been _involved_ since the start."

"That's not what I mean," Mai's eyes slid to Katara's. "If the people think Zuko's a puppet for the Avatar or another Nation, they will never accept him as Firelord."

That was what Mai had wanted to talk to Zuko about, that night she saw her leaving his tent. The realisation was something of a gut punch for Katara and she realised that, in a way, Mai was right. "But if you get hurt…" She addressed Zuko directly and he finally, _finally_ looked at her. "I can fight Azula with you."

The expression on his face was not what she'd expected; the whole journey here, he'd been so focused and determined, but right now he looked lost. Adrift. He looked back over her shoulder at the still burning prison and swallowed hard. "You're the only one who can help them, though," He said softly and she glared at him. How _dare_ he do this to her? Now?

This wasn't supposed to be where they separated. They were supposed to fight Azula together. They were supposed to be _side by side_ for this and he was sending her away.

To make matters worse, he was _right_ that if there were survivors at the prison, she was the only one who could help.

"Fine," She bit out, furious. "But I'm not saying goodbye and I am _not_ staying away. I'll join you when I can."

She went to turn away but he caught her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," He whispered against her ear, and she gripped his shoulders tightly. "I'll see you soon."

They held each other for half a heartbeat longer, before letting go and turning away at the same time. They had work to do.

But the gnawing unease in her gut wouldn't subside.

.

The prison was a horrific, blackened husk when they arrived; one side of the building had been blown completely apart, exposing the backs of cells and office rooms at least three floors up. Katara exchanged a solemn frown with her father as they approached, the silence deafening.

"What do you think happened?" Hakoda asked, voice rough. "Do you think…" He trailed off, and Katara put a soothing hand on his back. Bato and the other Water Tribe warriors had been imprisoned here, and in one fell swoop Azula may have killed them all.

"Let's look inside," Katara suggested, sounding steadier than she felt. "A blast like that couldn't have…" She swallowed. Logically, it couldn't have killed _everyone_ inside, but she wouldn't put it past Azula to have crowded the invasion force in one place to make sure it killed all of _them_.

And the silence was unnerving. If there were survivors, wouldn't they be able to hear something? She steeled herself and they approached the ruined wall of the prison, picking through debris. She was both relieved and creeped out when they made it inside and couldn't see any evidence of injury.

"Look," Hakoda pointed to the remnants of wire, metal and wood that were scattered across the floor. "Not firebenders, they used a bomb."

Katara looked up at the hole in the ceiling, squinting through the sunlight. "I don't understand," She said softly. "Where is everyone?"

As if on cue, they heard the soft scrape of debris upstairs and exchanged a warning glance. Her dad readied his club and Katara cloaked her hands in water as they slowly made their way up the stone steps, each footstep seeming to scrape and echo off the walls. They reached the top of the stairs and Katara nearly fell to the floor.

There, in the middle of the hallway, in front of a mass of tangled, burned wire and shrapnel, Haru was dismantling a burned shelter of earth, revealing the missing Water Tribe Warriors, Swamp benders, Earth Kingdom fighters and Kyoshi Warriors. "Bato!" Her dad cried, rushing forward to wrap his best friend in a tight hug. "When we saw the explosion…"

"Easy," Bato groaned, and Hakoda pulled back, blood staining the front of his clothes. Alarmed, Katara stepped forwards just as Haru stumbled a little too. Initial relief gave way to determined focus and she began healing the wounded allies. Some were more severe than others, but none were life-threatening.

She got to work on Bato first, who had taken some blunt force wounds to his back and whose chest was bleeding with small chunks of metal embedded in him. He bore her ministrations well, only flinching when she pulled out a particularly serrated, dirt piece of debris.

"Thanks, Katara."

She nodded and moved onto the next most severely injured, the Mechanist.

"I saw the bomb," The Mechanist smiled weakly as Katara brought a ball of water to the open wound on the back of his head. "Luckily, Haru was quick enough to protect us all from certain death."

Haru smiled at the praise. Dirt and shrapnel clung to his hair and Katara could see that his shield from the bomb took a fair chunk of damage. "Azula nearly got us."

"Nearly," Hakoda grinned, clapping Bato on the back. "But one measly bomb isn't enough to crush _us_."

"No," Katara smiled at her father and Bato before giving the old man a pat on the back. "There you go. Were there any soldiers around?"

"None at all," Haru said, sounding nonplussed. "It's like this was just…" He paused, looking bemused.

Katara felt a cold pit in her stomach. "It wasn't set to kill us," She realised. Haru looked back at her with dawning comprehension. "It was to split us up."

"We're fine," Hakoda said. "You two go."

"But-"

"We'll keep the wounded safe here," Bato agreed. "You guys give Zuko some backup."

Katara lunged forward, hugging both Bato and her father tightly before rushing down the stairs, unsure and uncaring as to whether Haru was following.

The implications of the size of the bomb were worrying; had Azula been several steps ahead all along? Mai had suggested it only be Fire Nation citizens who proceeded to the palace… had that suggestion been planted by Azula?

The thought turned Katara's veins to ice.

Mai's feelings for Zuko had seemed genuine enough, but maybe Azula's hold over the girl was stronger. Katara felt a surge of rage and ran hard, not caring any longer if she was seen- there weren't enough people in the capital to stop her getting to the palace.

The city seemed to shake as she saw a bursting, ballooning, blue fireball sear the skyline. She faltered and slipped on the cobbled pathway, staring up in horror. The comet had started and Azula had struck.

.

"She'll be in the spa," Mai said dispassionately. "We could catch her by surprise…"

But she never finished her sentence. The Caldera shook with the great, thundering force of the explosion and they turned in horror to see the prison, halfway down the side of the volcano, was blazing and burning. "No!" Zuko hissed, his stomach twisting. Katara's father held him back as he jerked towards the prison- Zuko didn't even realise that his hands were on fire.

"It's time," Katara breathed through tears. "The Comet."

The sight of the tears on Katara's face brought Zuko back to the present; there wasn't time for him to lose focus. "Azula," He hissed, glaring back at the palace, the place he'd once called home. "She knew we'd go to the prison first… Katara, Hakoda- You go back to the prison, help the others," He threw back over his shoulder. "The rest of us will go to the palace."

"What?" Katara hissed, lunging to catch his sleeve. He didn't dare look at her. "We're meant to be doing this together-"

"Go," Mai said from behind him. "It's best not to involve foreigners in this."

"Excuse me?" Hakoda asked, disbelievingly, clearly insulted. "We've been _involved_ since the start."

"That's not what I mean," Mai's responded, cold as ever. "If the people think Zuko's a puppet for the Avatar or another Nation, they will never accept him as Firelord."

"But if you get hurt…" Zuko dragged his eyes from the palace to look back at Katara. Katara, looking so achingly beautiful in the morning sun. Her eyes seemed to glare right into his core. "I can fight Azula with you."

He wanted nothing more than to have her with him, fighting at his side as he battled his sister, but their allies, her _countrymen_ were at the prison, and they could be seriously hurt. If they were going to win this, they needed to have everyone possible behind them and Katara was the only one who could heal.

Also, Mai was right. It was the Avatar's destiny to take down his father, but the Fire Nation had to prove that lasting change could come from _within_. It wasn't just the Fire Nation that would be suspicious of a coup organised by outsiders, the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes would be forever distrustful of the Fire Nation's ability to govern fairly, unchecked.

He didn't want her to leave, but it wasn't just about him. He looked over to the smoking shell of the prison and swallowed. "You're the only one who can help them, though," He said softly and she glared at him. He didn't want her to look at him like that, but he stood his ground.

"Fine," She bit out, furious. "But I'm not saying goodbye and I am _not_ staying away. I'll join you when I can."

She went to turn away but he caught her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," He whispered against her ear, and to his relief, she held him back just as tightly. "I'll see you soon."

They held each other for half a heartbeat longer, before letting go and turning away at the same time. They had work to do.

"Come on," He ordered the soldiers, a little annoyed at himself that he had tears in his eyes. He would see her soon, he told himself. The grim nod from Mai told him he'd made the right decision, and a few of the soldiers gave him awkward smiles of reassurance.

But Jee came to Zuko's shoulder with a concerned frown. "Are you sure about this?" He asked Zuko softly. "Master Katara is probably one of the few benders who could give the princess a run for her money…"

"True," Zuko conceded. "But she's needed more there."

Jee didn't say anything further on the subject as they approached the palace gates. Zuko paid no heed to whether or not they were seen; this was his birthright and no guard was going to deny him entry.

Two younger men guarded the gates, but Zuko swept past them, letting Jee and a few of the other soldiers cut them down instead. The courtyard seemed to hush as he walked through; soldiers and fire sages alike parted to let him through. He walked to the base of the steps, atop which stood three fire sages preparing the coronation ritual.

They stared at him in surprise, and he held out a hand to still the soldiers behind him. He hoped it all looked as impressive as intended, but if not then that couldn't be helped.

"Where is my sister?" He said, as firmly as he could. His voice echoed across the courtyard and it sounded like his father's voice, mocking him. The sages exchanged worried looks, but no one moved. "You," He made eye contact with a nervous looking servant. "Find Azula and tell her that her brother has come to take the crown."

The servant paused, looking around as though for help but none came and so he fled into the palace.

The following few minutes seemed to last a lifetime, and no one in the courtyard dared move. Zuko resisted the urge to fidget or shift his weight from one leg to the other. He remained totally still, eyes scanning the courtyard with what he hoped was a dispassionate, confident air. He needed to look completely at ease here, in front of the palace staff and soldiers of the Royal Guard. How this exchange went would dictate how he was perceived for the rest of his life.

The rest of his _rule_.

The thought brought an all too familiar wave of nausea and he swallowed hard.

"Zu-Zu, what an _honour_ it is that you came," Azula lauded, strolling through the doors of the palace. Zuko fought to keep his expression impassive at the sight of her; she was wearing fine armour but she looked… terrible, dishevelled, unbalanced.

He kind of hoped she'd fired the servant who had done _that_ to her hair...

"Everyone, look! My brother's come to visit for the coronation, and he brought my _dear_ friends. Mai, Ty Lee… it's _so good_ to see you again. We should have a proper catch up after I'm crowned Firelord."

"Where is everyone, Azula?" Zuko challenged, and her eyes narrowed. "This isn't enough people for a real coronation. The city's practically empty- don't tell me _everyone_ has left for Father's burning of the Earth Kingdom."

"How do you know about that?" Azula hissed, fingers twitching before she straightened, attempting to regain her usual aura of calm. "It doesn't matter. Father has left me the crown of Firelord, and the Fire Nation's control of the other nations is soon to be ironclad."

"The Avatar will defeat Firelord Ozai today," Zuko said with more surety than he felt. "And I will defeat _you_."

Azula laughed, maniacally, as though it was the funniest thing she'd heard in her whole life. The sound sent shivers down Zuko's spine and he heard the soldiers behind him shift slightly, probably preparing to draw weapons. He held out a hand again to stop them, his eyes fixed firmly on his sister.

What had happened to her? In just a couple of months, Azula had gone from a self-entitled, cocky prodigy to the ruined, wild-eyed girl in front of him now. "Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this," She grinned madly at him and he fought to resist the urge to take a step backwards. "Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be… Agni Kai!"

No room for hesitation, no room for second-guesses. "You're on."

This way, no one else needed to be hurt.

The fire sages protested, tried to dissuade Azula from her challenge, but the words had been said, and there was no going back. They made their way out of the palace, as Zuko had expected they would, towards a large training arena at the edge of the caldera.

Azula was being carried down to the grounds in a palanquin, as Zuko walked slightly behind, flanked by his guards on all sides.

"An Agni Kai with Azula?" Mai said quietly from his left. "Bold choice."

"I can take her," He responded, not sparing the younger girl a glance. He _was_ sure he could take her. The comet's power was giving him more strength than he'd thought possible, and the fire itched beneath his skin, begging to be let out.

"I'm sure you can," Ty Lee said, trying to sound reassuring but he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "Just be careful."

"Any last minute tips?" He asked as they arrived, but both girls remained silent. It was probably for the best, he thought. Of the three of them, he was probably the one with the most experience on the business end of Azula's bending practice.

Mai and Ty Lee helped him remove the outer layers of his robes, and he lifted his hand to remove the crown but Mai grabbed his wrist, frowning at him. "Leave it in," She instructed, and he nodded.

He turned to face the others, who were all watching him with very serious expressions.

"So this is it," Ty Lee said, sounding unsure. They didn't step over the threshold of the training grounds; It was forbidden for anyone to interfere with an Agni Kai and there wasn't much space for spectators at the outdoor courtyard. Getting too close would also mean risking their lives unnecessarily.

Zuko nodded, a little jerkily, and wrung his hands together. "If I don't… uh- if I can't... Tell Aang I did my best... And, if you see Katara, tell her I'm sorry."

Lieutenant Jee bowed low, followed quickly by the other soldiers. "Prince Zuko, may the many blessings of Agni shine on you," He said, sounding a little strangled.

Mai and Ty Lee simply nodded. "Good luck," Ty Lee said with a slight smile.

Luck.

 _Azula was born lucky and you?_

 _You were lucky to be born._

Zuko tried not to laugh.

.

The fire wasn't coming from the palace, Katara realised as she tore through the streets with Haru hot on her heels. It was coming from somewhere else, somewhere unknown. The only thing keeping her focused, keeping her running was that each blast of blue flame was met with an equally ferocious blast of orange. It had to be Zuko.

The houses were more clustered here, to the east of the palace, and a few were on fire. It seemed a bit counter-intuitive, to have flammable homes so close to a… what? A training ground? A battlefield?

But then, she'd never seen any fire like this.

Blue and orange flames seemed to fill the sky, and the smell of smoke stung her nostrils, making it hard to locate the actual origin of the fires. She ducked as a torrent of flame seared over the street she was running down, and it set another row of buildings' roofs on fire.

"Katara?" She squinted through the smoke to see someone in Fire Nation armour waving to her. "Katara!"

"Kei?" Katara hurried forward. "What's happening?"

"Prince Zuko accepted an Agni Kai with the princess," Kei explained, leading Katara and Haru into a low, one storey building in which the other soldiers were sat, waiting. "They're fighting now."

"One on one?" Katara asked, aghast. "He can't be serious."

Beneath her helmet, Katara could see Kei's deep, disapproving frown. "We're here to help Prince Zuko because we believe in him, but I don't like this at all."

There were no windows in the building, which looked like some sort of preparation room with long benches and hooks on the wall. Paint flaked from the walls and little scorch marks interrupted the bull, repeating pattern of wooden boards.

Katara bit her lip, trying not to think about all the ways this could be another of Azula's traps. "Where are they?"

"Through there," Kei pointed at a heavy wooden door past Mai and Ty Lee. Katara moved without thinking, but she was blocked by two Fire Nation guards. She suddenly realised that here, in this room, she couldn't tell which guards were on Azula's side and which were on Zuko's. The armour was the same, the pale, tight faces beneath their helmets all seemed to match.

The air felt hot and thick. Suffocating.

"Let me through," Katara demanded, but Ty Lee was at her shoulder, pulling her back and looking worried.

"You can't go out there, Katara," She urged. "An Agni Kai is sacred- it's a matter of honour."

"Honour?" Katara repeated, dumbfounded. She could hear the roar of fire outside, making her head spin and Ty Lee was talking about _honour_.

"Careful," Mai warned from behind Ty Lee, her eyes darting around the room. Katara paused; Mai almost looked _worried_. She was paler than normal, and her mouth was set in a tight frown rather than the resting frown she normally wore. The oppressive claustrophobia swelled in Katara again, and she was overwhelmed by the need to be _outside_.

"Let me through," Katara demanded again of the two guards, finally recognising one of them as someone she had seen around the White Lotus campsite. "Please- I won't interfere…" _Unless I need to_. She added silently, but it seemed to do the trick.

The door opened.

Despite their previous aversion to opening the doors, suddenly Katara had the whole room of patiently waiting soldiers and sages at her back, craning to see how the Agni Kai was progressing. There were a few quiet gasps and whispered prayers from behind her, but Katara had lost the ability to say a word.

The fire blazed bright- huge bursts of rolling flames roaring from the hands of the two siblings in the stone courtyard. Azula's hair was dishevelled and she seemed to skate around the courtyard, trying to find a blind spot in her brother's defences.

Zuko was magnificent.

He was turning to diffuse Azula's attacks and sending his own back, but he didn't seem to be moving from his place in the centre of the courtyard. His body moved smoothly, now free of his heavier robes, he was in a simple tunic, trousers and boots but the crown glimmered brightly in his hair. If Azula was slipping, Zuko was the very picture of calm assurance.

If she'd never seen either of them fight before, it would have seemed like Zuko was the prodigy, and Azula the desperate, grappling novice.

A heavy blast of blue fire came a little close to the doorway and a few of the soldiers and sages cowered away. "Close the doors!" Someone hissed, and Katara slipped through as a soldier hurried to oblige. She turned to see Mai, mouth open in surprise just as the door closed and locked behind her.

This may not have been the best idea, she realised, as Zuko sent twin dragons spiralling towards Azula. She scooted around the side of the building towards one of the covered walkways, the dry heat stinging her eyes and forcing tears down her cheeks. She didn't dare call out, or move to make herself more visible, she just watched with bated breath, waiting for it to be over.

Zuko stopped punching fire at her and crouched low, kicking a torrent of flame outwards that sent the princess flying.

Azula's hair had fallen free of its crown at some point, and it whipped around her as she struggled to her feet. Katara could see the grim smile on his face as she struggled to her feet and her chest swelled with panicked pride. Zuko was winning a one-on-one fight with his prodigy sister.

"No lightning today? What's the matter?" He challenged as she glared up at him. "Afraid I'll redirect it?"

" _Oh_ ," Azula gasped breathlessly with a manic look in her eye. "I'll show you _lightning!"_

Zuko's back was now to Katara, but she could see the deep breath he took as Azula's arms circled to summon the nightmarish blue sparks. He bought one arm out and kept the other crooked. His stance was perfect.

And then Azula smiled, meeting Katara's eyes.

Katara's world shrank. Everything around her faded to darkness except for Azula's smiling face looking right at her. In her peripheral vision, through the darkness, she saw Zuko turn, confused. His stance dropped and he scrambled, throwing himself across as Azula let the lightning go. "No!"

A bolt of lightning split the sky, and Zuko fell to the floor.

"Zuko!" Katara gasped for air. It felt like she was drowning.

Zuko had just- slumped. His back was to her now, and Azula was still smiling. She ran forwards but a flash of blue crashed between them. Katara threw her hands up to defend herself, but it didn't seem like Azula was actively aiming _for_ her. Just stopping her from getting near Zuko, who was twitching horribly on the floor.

Azula was laughing again.

It felt like the whole arena was on fire, and Katara tried again to get to Zuko but a barrage of lightning forced her to swerve to one side. Desperately, Katara's eyes couldn't seem to move from Zuko, even to see where Azula was aiming. It was difficult to tell if he was alive or not and the thought he could be dead…

Katara's heart seized as Zuko's arms moved, trying to stand. His crown was still, impossibly, in place but it just reflected the fire around him cruelly. Zuko fell to the floor again with a faint, guttural groan.

Katara tried to get to him again but blue fire blocked her path, followed by more lightning. Zuko struggled again to lift himself but she could see he was pale and sweating, and he fell again to the floor.

 _Focus._

Katara turned to glare at Azula, who jumped to land on a nearby rooftop, clearly anticipating an attack. She swung her arms around to summon more lightning. "I'd really rather out family physician look after little Zu-Zu if you don't mind."

Katara felt powerful vengeance surge through her, and she twisted her hands to deflect Azula's bending. Azula's lefty hand whipped to the side and Azula grinned at her with mad joy, as though it were the best thing in the world.

"I _knew_ you could do that," she hissed. "I knew it!"

"Want to see what else I can do?" Katara called back, moving away from Zuko. She was trying to distract Azula from her brother and it seemed to work; Azula stared after her and when she managed to regain control of her arm, she sent a quick blast of blue flame right at Katara.

Katara hid behind a column, heart pounding hard. She was fairly sure that this was against the rules of the 'sacred' Agni Kai but if Azula hadn't aimed for her, Zuko would have won. She was sure of it.

Tamping down the churning guilt, Katara pulled water from her flask and sent it up at the roof, but when she looked to see if her hit had landed, Azula was behind her, using fire to rush along the corridor and Katara darted away.

Azula pursued her relentlessly, but as long as it kept her attentions off Zuko, Katara was happy to play the part of the bait. Zuko was worryingly still now, but Katara couldn't spare him any of her attention; Azula was gaining.

Katara froze water beneath her feet for speed, but Azula melted it with ease and Katara tried to hold her in place with bloodbending but the sun was too bright, the moon was too far through its cycle, and the comet was too strong. Azula barely slowed down.

"I thought you were stronger than this," Azula taunted, giggling. Her hair flew about her face, uneven and choppy. Katara had never seen anyone look as deranged as Azula did in that moment. The arena was properly on fire now, and the awful smell of burned hair filled Katara's nostrils. She wasn't sure if it was her own, or Azula's. She supposed it didn't matter much anymore.

Running between columns, trying to evade Azula's madness, Katara was sent sprawling as her toe caught in something and her breath caught in her throat as she saw what had tripped her.

The arena had open water gutters, covered only by metal grates. She could _use_ this.

She spotted some chains nearby and grabbed them, trying to keep out of Azula's direct line of sight until she was ready. _Hold on, Zuko._ She silently willed him. _Just a little longer._

She could hear Azula's slow footsteps approach. Azula's total self-confidence would have been admirable if she wasn't _literally insane_. Katara held her breath.

"There you are, filthy peasant!" She crowed, and Katara launched at her with a series of water whips, forcing her towards the grates. "Not going to use your little trick on me again?" Azula snarled. "Come on, I dare you."

"I don't need it to defeat you," Katara responded, her voice low and determined. Azula brought her arms in that all-too-familiar circle, summoning lightning. This close, there would be no escape from it.

Katara didn't need to escape.

With a great surge, she brought the water from the drains to surround herself and Azula, freezing them both in place. Azula's wide, horrified eyes stared back at her, and Katara realised with a start that the princess's fingers were pointed right at her nose. A half-second later and she would have been fried.

Forcing her own heartbeat to slow, Katara breathed out deeply, melting the ice around her and moving slowly to bring the chains around Azula's wrists, securing her to the drainage grates so that she wouldn't be able to bend. Once in place, she let the ice melt and come crashing down, back into the drains.

With a final tug to secure the chains, she finally put Azula from her mind and let her feet carry her to Zuko's side.

He was lying face down on the stone slabs, and she tried gently to turn him onto his back. He let out a shuddering sigh and her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't you dare," She scolded, desolation giving way to furious determination. "Don't you _dare_ die on me, now."

The front of his shirt was mostly burned away, and she held clean water over the bloody, crusted scorch mark in the centre of his chest, forcing the water deeper, knitting him back together. If only she'd stayed away, if only he had _attacked Azula_ when she left herself open in favour of targeting Katara.

She was so, _so_ angry. She could hear faint murmuring in the background but she couldn't think about anything else right now except for the _stupid_ boy in front of her.

After what felt like an age, his furrowed brow smoothed and he smiled faintly. "Thank you, Katara," He breathed and she couldn't help the relieved smile as she realised his eyes were open and clear.

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," Katara managed. Zuko tried to get up but he winced in pain.

She wordlessly took his arm and gently helped him to his feet. His smile faded as he watched his sister, chained to the floor and hyperventilating in pure, desperate fury. She was writhing, twisting her body on the floor and struggling against the chains as she screamed and breathed blue fire.

As Zuko and Katara watched in solemn silence, the girl in front of them began to cry.

Katara tightened her grip on Zuko, unable to watch the princess any longer. The air had chilled considerably now that the Agni Kai was over, and she could feel the tremors running through his body.

At some point, the doors to the low building the soldiers had been waiting in with the others had been opened and the Fire Sages were stood at the edge of the courtyard. Katara wasn't sure how much they'd seen, whether they knew Azula had broken the rules first, or whether they thought she'd interfered to secure the throne for Zuko unprompted. She looked to Mai or Ty Lee for a hint, but they weren't looking at her or Zuko.

Mai and Ty Lee were staring at Azula, seemingly entranced, but Jee and a few of the soldiers hurried to their prince as soon as they saw them. "Is he alright?" Jee demanded, face taut and pale.

"He needs to rest," Katara explained, glaring at the soldier who moved to take Zuko's arm from her so that he kept his distance. "Where can he rest?"

"The palace," Jee said clearly, catching the attention of the Fire Sages who were hovering at the doorway, uncertainly. "The Firelord will recuperate at the palace."

Once inside the palanquin - Azula's palanquin - Zuko swallowed hard and let his head fall back, exhausted. "Katara?" Zuko's voice was soft. "Do you think the others are alright?"

"I don't know. I hope so," Katara said quietly, holding onto his hand. The Fire Sages and soldiers were all just… waiting. Waiting to see if the Phoenix King would return.

Katara swallowed hard. If everything had gone to plan (and really, when did that happen?) Aang should be arriving with the others soon. If Zuko's father had won, then he would likely be the one returning, to exact revenge on his son.

They had done their best, but they had no idea yet if it was over or not.

.

The other allies had also been brought up to the palace, and Zuko had instructed the palace healers to get to work on the allies and nationalists alike. After a few dubious looks, the healers had agreed and it seemed like the patients were all tolerating each other well enough. Katara had heard her father and Jee chatting away with another lieutenant. It was… odd. This period of uncertainty. No one wanted to break the peace with open hostility, but they were tense, lest the Phoenix King return and declare Zuko a traitor.

"I just received word from the servants. Someone's outside," Kei muttered darkly, tightening her grip on her sword. Katara looked to Zuko in alarm, and he closed his eyes, releasing a long, deliberate breath before standing and turning to face the large double doors at the end of the atrium. He had been dressed once again in formal robes, but these were finer than the ones he'd brought with him. Katara had a very strong suspicion that they were his father's, but she didn't say anything.

Zuko began to walk to the door. Jee jerked forwards, one arm out, but froze just shy of touching Zuko's arm. "Your Highness," He said deferentially. "We don't know who it is…"

"It doesn't matter who it is," Zuko said, and the whole room seemed to hold its breath. "Whether it's Avatar Aang or my father, I'm going to meet them."

Jee bowed, low to the floor. There was a clatter around the room as everyone else followed suit, even the soldiers who had not defected from Ozai's army. Zuko seemed to pale and looked back to Katara, who gave him a small smile and bob of her head. She moved to stand a pace or two behind him and he rewarded her with a small, nervous smile. Together, they approached the door.

Zuko nodded to the soldier closest to the door, and the older man visibly paled, going to the door and slowly pushing it outward to reveal what was possibly the best sight Katara or Zuko had ever seen in their entire lives.

Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph were stood at the top of the stairs. Momo skipped cheerily from Aang's shoulder to run across Katara's and land on Zuko's head, chewing eagerly on the gold crown. Zuko didn't seem to notice. He was smiling widely at Aang.

"You're okay," He said, sounding rather breathless and a bit teary. "You guys are all okay."

He lurched forwards and wrapped his arms tightly around Aang and Toph, who were the closest to him. Katara likewise launched herself at Sokka and Suki, to Sokka's pained protests. "Ow! Watch my leg…"

"Sokka?" Katara heard rapid footsteps and Hakoda was suddenly there, hugging them all as well. "I am _so proud_ of you kids."

And it seemed, all of a sudden, as if the whole Water Tribe was around them, jostling for hugs and relieved greetings. Katara had to press herself through the crowd to get to Aang, Toph and Zuko, weaving her way through bodies that practically lifted her off her feet as she did so.

She reached open air and grinned at Aang and Toph, throwing her arms around them and nearly knocking them right over. "Hey! Easy, Sugar Queen!" Toph complained, but gripped her back tightly.

Katara pulled back and turned to smile at Zuko, but the smile had disappeared from his face and he was looking past Aang, to where Appa had landed with a lumpy, wrapped package on his saddle. She moved to take his hand and he swallowed hard. "Is that…"

Aang moved to stand at Zuko's other side. "Yeah. I didn't want to just… leave him behind."

The younger boy's face was solemn, and he looked like he was ready to burst into tears himself. By comparison, Zuko's jaw was tight and his eyes angry. She wasn't sure at who, or what, but his fingers tightened around hers and a muscle in his neck jumped.

"It was super creepy, travelling with him in the saddle, by the way," Sokka groused and Katara turned to glare at his insensitivity. "Go ahead, Zuko. See him for yourself."

But Zuko simply stared out at the bundled body of his father in silence before turning and walking back into the palace.

"Burn it." He instructed the gathered soldiers, who bowed and rushed to obey. The Fire Sages bowed deeply, murmuring blessings and beatitudes as he passed them.

This was how their adventure ended. Not with a celebration, but with a loss. She thought she understood why, as he turned to look back at them all with a small, grim smile. It was, again, about sending a _message_ \- that Ozai had no hold over him any longer, even though it wasn't true.

"Send word," He instructed the gathered soldiers and sages. "Fire Nation Troops are to stand down immediately and return to their homes. Firelord Ozai is dead and the war is over."

.

The sun was shining. It seemed strange to Katara that it had been less than a year since she left the South Pole. So much had happened. She fiddled nervously with the edges of her sleeves at the thought of her home- it felt further than ever.

She leaned her head against Zuko's shoulder, watching two turtleducks swim idly in a decorative pool. The coronation was over, and Zuko had performed admirably. He had announced the end of the war formally to a cheering, euphoric crowd of people from all the nations, and the celebrations so far had been untainted by rumour or dissent.

Long may it last.

Now that things had settled down somewhat, Zuko had wanted to show her the gardens. This spot seemed especially peaceful, beneath the shade of the veranda, looking out at carefully manicured flower bushes, water features and winding, narrow pathways. The high walls of the garden muted any noise from outside, and it felt like time passed more slowly here. Despite the worries in the back of her mind (particularly about how he was handling the death of his father and imprisonment of his sister), she sighed in contentment.

"Your father and the Water Tribe warriors leave for the South Pole in a week," Zuko said softly, and Katara hummed her acknowledgement. She had known her father would return home soon- he had been away for too long and could only stay for the initial reparations negotiations before returning to the Tribe and reuniting the men with their families.

Sokka would probably go too.

"Do you want to go with them?"

She lifted her head and looked up at him with a frown. "...To the South Pole?"

"Or, if you wanted, you could go with Aang. You could travel the world a little more, help people out there."

"Zuko," She said, very firmly. "Are you telling me to leave the Fire Nation?"

"No," He said, blinking down at her in what looked like panic. "It's just-" He huffed and looked back out to the garden. "I asked you to stay with me, but that was selfish. If you want to stay, then of course you can… uh- what I mean is... I'm not going anywhere. If you want to travel… or go back to the South Pole, I'll still be here."

Katara frowned at him, unimpressed. "Because you can't leave?"

"I'm not good at this," Zuko muttered and Katara fought a smile at the pink on his cheeks. He huffed as though annoyed, and glared at her. "Things are going to be hard for a while in the Fire Nation. If you want to take a break and help people, then you should. I'll be here, waiting. You can come back whenever you want."

The irritated look on his face should probably have put her off the suggestion, but she beamed up at him and pulled him down for a kiss.

She understood. He didn't want her to feel trapped. Katara had a need to be actively helping people. She probably would travel the world a little more- either with Aang or possibly alone. Maybe she'd help rebuild the South Pole, or maybe she'd travel the Earth Kingdom, or maybe she'd revisit the North Pole and learn more about healing…

The future was a great adventure, but she would always have something important to come back for.

The end.

.

 _So that's the final chapter of this story! A few things don't get wrapped up because I'm keeping hold of them for the sequel, which I have outlined and will probably start releasing in a month or so. I hope this final chapter (which is super long, wow!) is a satisfying end for everyone._

 _I don't like how (canonically) Katara finishes the war and then seems to just follow what the others want her to do, so I want her to have her independence- especially since the Fire Nation will be super difficult for a while and external interference in their line of succession probably won't go down super well..._

 _Thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far. You've kept me going and inspired me to continue!_

 _I have so many ideas for other stories in this AU so I may also do a couple of odd one-shots for scenes and stories that don't fit the overall longer-form fics. I've fallen in love with it, what can I say?_

 _Subscribe, comment, and stay in touch!_


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